The number of saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan this spring reached 4.689 million. Officials have taken measures to deal with the challenges caused by the expansion of the population.

China News Service, Astana, September 13 (Reporter Shan Lu) On the 12th, Kazakh News Agency quoted data from the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources as saying that this spring, the number of saiga antelopes in Kazakhstan has reached 4.689 million. As the population expands, issues such as competition between saiga antelopes and domestic animals for pasture and water sources, and disease prevention and control have also attracted increasing attention.

In order to reduce the impact of saiga antelopes on agricultural production, some areas of Kazakhstan have controlled their numbers through hunting and other measures in recent years. Among them, Western Kazakhstan Oblast will hunt about 108,000 saiga antelopes in 2025.

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, relevant departments are working with scientific research institutions to study management measures based on the demands of farmers and herdsmen. The ministry said that setting a limit on the number of saigas hunted does not mean that this number must be reached. The specific amount of hunting depends on the status of the population, whether the supporting facilities can meet the needs, and whether the cost is reasonable.

In addition to quantity control, disease prevention and control are also issues faced by management. This year, saiga antelopes have become ill, died, and had miscarriages in Western Kazakhstan. Since the beginning of the year, about 18,900 saiga antelope carcasses have been disposed of. The Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan is investigating the cause of death.

In addition, relevant Kazakhstan departments are strengthening the management of antelope horns and requiring identification marks to be added one by one to trace the source and prevent illegal trading and smuggling.