Number of dead rare antelopes in Kostanay rises to 1000

The number of saiga found dead in Kostanay region on May 11 has increased from around 100 to 1,000, the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan said May 15.

On May 11, about 100 rare antelopes found dead in Amangeldy district of Kostanay region.

The inspectors of the Forestry and Fauna Committee under the Ministry of Agriculture first found 117 dead saiga. To date, the number of dead animals exceeded 1,000, said the Ministry.

The authorities said preliminary results of the examination of soil and dead corpses will be published in a week.

The last case of mass death of saiga in the region took place in May 2012 in Zhangeldin district. Then the cause of death of 926 saiga was pasteurellosis.

"Preliminary analysis shows similarities with the situation that took place three years back, when, due to long winter the weakened animals (females) have become susceptible to infections and died during the lambing season," concluded the Ministry of Agriculture.

In 2014, the number of saiga in Kazakhstan was 256,700 heads.

Source: akipress.org