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Saiga antelope, Photo: Pavel Sorokin
Elena Bykova, Photo: Stacey Iverson
Elena Bykova
Elena Bykova, a native of Uzbekistan, is a founding member of SCA and leader for saiga protection in her country. She has a strong background in field research, as well as a unique ability to foster collaboration among community members and influential leaders. In this young and growing project, Elena and her team are actively making a difference for the saiga antelope and the people of the region.
 
 
Watch Elena Bykova's
2012 Expo Presentation
Confiscated saiga horn, Photo: Alexander Esipov
Threats
Resembling a character from a Dr. Seuss book, the saiga antelope has evolved to be perfectly adapted to its life in the steppe and semi-desert of Central Asia and Russia. The saiga’s range includes some of the harshest landscape in the world. It migrates large distances between summer and winter pastures, travelling in herds that can number in the thousands. It is a relic of Ice Age fauna that included mammoths and saber-tooth cats. Herds of saiga once numbered in the millions, but today only 40,000 survive. In the past ten years, saiga numbers have declined by 96%, the fastest decline ever recorded for a mammal species.
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Traditional crafts, Photo: SCA
Solutions
The Saiga Conservation Alliance (SCA) is a group of scientists and conservationists working in countries throughout the saiga's range to bring the plight of the saiga antelope to the world's attention. In cooperation with local communities and governments, SCA is creating a new understanding of the saiga's role in the environment and finding solutions to secure its future.
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Triumph in Combatting Illegal Trade of Saiga Horn

Kazakhstan's decision to stop the export of Saiga horn until 2020, or until the Saiga population in Kazakhstan reaches 200,000 individuals, is expected to increase the level of illegal smuggling of saiga horn from Mongolia to China in the coming years.

The Saiga Conservation Alliance quickly moved to address this anticipated increase by funding a project to coordinate a meeting between CITES China and CITES Mongolia. More

Photo: Navinder Singh
 
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