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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