Saigas, a type of antelope known for their prominently shaped noses, have been dying at alarming rates this year. Though other species occasionally experience massive die-offs, this one is particularly worrisome, because there are only a few saiga herds left in the world: several in Kazakhstan, one in Russia and one in Mongolia.
Now, the researchers have found clues as to how more than half of the country’s herd, counted at 257,000 as of 2014, died so rapidly. Bacteria played a role in the saigas’ mass demise, but the exact cause is still unknown. Saigas were listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Tissue samples revealed that toxins, produced by Pasteurella and possibly Clostridia bacteria, caused extensive bleeding in most of the animals’ organs. But Pasteurella is found normally in the bodies of ruminants like the saigas, and it usually doesn’t cause harm unless the animals have weakened immune systems.
Facts About Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country by size in the world. It’s a huge place with a very small population of only 16 million people.
- It’s the largest landlocked country in the world.
- The capital of Kazakhstan is Astana.
- Kazakhstan was part of the former USSR and has been independent since 1991.
- Kazakhstan is home to the Baikonur Cosmodome, the world’s first and largest space launch facility. It is leased by the Russians until 2050.
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