Ministry of Ecology halts cull of saiga antelope in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has prematurely banned the culling of saiga antelope. Since February 10, all forms of hunting these animals have been prohibited and will be considered illegal, according to Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Nyssanbayev. As he noted, this decision was made after consultations with scientists. Additionally, deep snow and cold prevent people from moving in the steppe.

The official also revealed that the ministry intends to resume regulating the saiga population in 2025, following a biological study.

“We are going to conduct a thorough count of the animals in May, taking into account last year’s kidding (birthing season). Based on preliminary estimates, the saiga population has probably increased by approximately 40%, reaching 2.5 to 2.6 million animal units. Even in the worst-case kidding scenario, we anticipate a 30% increase, resulting in approximately 700,000 to 750,000 more animal units. Ultimately, this population must be declined,” he said on the sidelines of the government.

The context: For years, saiga antelopes have been under government protection. Thanks to successful conservation efforts, the number of antelopes, which were once on the brink of extinction, has sharply increased. Now, they pose problems for local Kazakhstani farmers, who complain that the animals have become a nuisance as they destroy harvests. Consequently, the government of Kazakhstan decided to initiate the culling of the wild antelope to regulate their population.

The country’s authorities aim to halve the saiga population, maintaining it at one million units. This entails culling an excessive number of animals, but not more than 20% of the entire population.