News and Facts

May 5 is celebrated as the day of the saiga (Saiga tatarica).

During the Ice Age, this species was widespread in the preglacial steppes and cold savannas of northern Eurasia from the British Isles in the west to northwestern Canada in the east. Currently, there are several scattered populations in the steppes and semi-deserts of Central Asia.

There are 5 main populations of the species, 3 of which are in Kazakhstan, one in Russia (Kalmykia) and one in Mongolia.

Over 90% of the world's saiga population is in Kazakhstan. The number of saigas in the country has fluctuated over the years. Thus, in the 20th century, the maximum number of saigas was recorded in the 1970s - from 510 thousand to 1 million 200 thousand individuals, the minimum - in the 1990s - from 148 to 976 thousand individuals. Then there was a steady decline over 10 years, mainly as a result of poaching. At the beginning of the 21st century, their number dropped significantly, reaching 21.1 thousand in 2003.

The saiga is included in the Red Book of Kazakhstan and the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as the rarest species in critical condition. Thanks to conservation measures, by 2022 the number of saigas in Kazakhstan has increased dramatically to 1.3 million individuals (before calving saigas), with their optimal number up to 700-800 thousand individuals. Competition with farm animals for pastures and watering places has intensified, and cases of crop damage have become more frequent. This raised the issue of controlling the population of this species, but the moratorium on shooting saigas is still in effect.

The saiga is a steppe antelope with an unusual elongated and massive proboscis, which serves the animal to warm the cold air of the steppe. The Ili river valley was one of the habitats of this animal in the past. In the Altyn-Emel National Park, the last saigas (2 specimens) were seen in 2003 near the Mynbulak post.

October 23 is celebrated around the world as the day of the snow leopard (Uncia uncia).

This beautiful and graceful animal is included in the Red Book of Kazakhstan and the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a rare endangered species.

The total number of snow leopards in the world is only about 3 thousand individuals, they all live in the mountains of Central and South Asia. There are no more than 150 snow leopards left in Kazakhstan, and this number is constantly decreasing.

The main threat to the snow leopard is poaching for its valuable fur. Being at the top of the food pyramid in its habitat, the leopard has no natural enemies and, in case of danger, usually freezes on the spot, hoping for a protective coloration of its fur. However, this often leads to his death, since in the conditions of open mountainous terrain, he becomes a rather easy target.

Taking into account the catastrophic decrease in the snow leopard population, Kazakhstan has stiffened penalties for poaching in recent years. Violators will be imposed heavy fines and serve a term of imprisonment of up to 12 years.

The country also prohibits hunting ungulates, such as argali and Siberian ibex, which are the main food of the snow leopard and whose well-being is crucial for its life.

The Altyn-Emel National Park monitors the safety of the population of the wild animals inhabiting its territory. The snow leopard can only be monitored by camera traps, since this animal is very cautious and active mainly at night. Thanks to camera traps, it was possible to record the snow leopard several times in 2020 and 2021 in the southwestern spurs of Dzhungarian Alatau. These mountains are a corridor for the snow leopard from the Zhongar-Alatau National Park, where its largest population is found.