The Environmental Crime Crisis

Saiga antelope populations

RUSSIA

North-West Pre-Caspian

Ural

Betpak-dala

MONGOLIA

Ustiurt

RUSSIA

KAZAKHSTAN

Aral Sea

Mongolia

Lake Balqash

Caspian Sea

CHINA

Caspian Sea

Saiga antelope population

AZERBAIJAN

Overall direction of migrations (North in summer, South in winter)

UZBEKISTAN

Terrestrial protected areas

KYRGYZSTAN

TURKMENISTAN

Source: ACBK, 2011; WWF Mongolia, Web-based GIS database on biological diversity of Mongolia; UNEP-WCMC, Protected Planet web database; Russian Committee for the UNESCO MAB Programme.

IRAN

Figure 4: Saigas have been hunted since prehistoric times and today poaching remains the primary threat to this critically endan- gered species. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Saiga populations crashed by more than 95% within a decade. While a number of Saiga populations are starting to stabilize, three continue to be in a precarious state (North-West Pre-Caspian, Ural and Ustiurt populations).

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