Saiga Recovery on the Kazakh Steppe (Altyn Dala)
The Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, led by ACBK, is restoring Kazakhstan's steppe, with the saiga antelope as its flagship (Altyn Dala).
Image: Yakov Fedorov via Wikimedia Commons (Saiga in West Kazakhstan, CC BY-SA 4.0).
Last reviewed: 2 sources cited
An antelope that once ran alongside Neanderthals is back on the steppe in the millions.
Kazakhstan's 2024 aerial census counted 2,833,600 adult saiga, a 48% rise in one year (Altyn Dala).
Source: Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, 2024 saiga aerial census results
Explain Like I'm 10
- The saiga is an antelope with a big, bendy nose that lives on the grassy steppe.
- Not long ago, there were very few left in Kazakhstan.
- Kazakhstan and its partners protected the steppe, and now there are millions again.
The Five W's of Altyn Dala
Who
The Association for the Conservation of The variety of all living things in a place: plants, animals, fungi and tiny microbes. Glossary of Kazakhstan (ACBK), with Fauna & Flora, Frankfurt Zoological Society, RSPB and the Government of Kazakhstan.
What
Restoring steppe, wetland and desert A community of living things and the place they live, like a reef or a forest, all depending on each other. Glossary, stopping illegal wildlife trade and counting saiga every year.
When
Co-founded in 2005; the 2024 census flew from 14 April to 1 May.
Source: Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, 2024 saiga aerial census results
Where
The steppe of Kazakhstan: the Ural, Ustyurt and Betpak Dala saiga populations.
Source: Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, 2024 saiga aerial census results
Why
An RSPB leader recalls seeing no more than seven saiga in a week in 2006 (Altyn Dala).
Connected Solutions
- African Parks Managing protected areas for wildlife and people across Africa.
Impact Statement
Nonprofit and government solution · active
In 2022 the partnership helped establish a new 780,000-hectare protected area in west Kazakhstan, home to the world's largest saiga population (Altyn Dala).
Source: Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, Our partnership
For Further Information: Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, Our partnership
The 2024 census teams flew 215 hours over 151,226 km² to count the saiga (Altyn Dala).
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
The work aims to build careers and generate jobs in rural communities (Altyn Dala).
Source: Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative, Our partnership
For Nature
Healthy steppe also helps species like the steppe tortoise and saker falcon (Altyn Dala).
Support Altyn Dala
Altyn Dala invites supporters to get in touch through its partnership page.
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