Deadly virus kills 2,500 endangered Saiga antelopes in Mongolia

Around 2,500 Saiga antelopes have died in Mongolia since December 2016, struck by a deadly virus. This is the first time an infectious disease outbreak has led to the death of Mongolian Saiga antelopes. The Saiga antelope is a critically endangered species. Recognisable by its unique bulbous nose, its global population has been dramatically reduced in

recent years, due to disease, just like during the massive die-off that happened in Kazakhstan in 2015. The animals are also threatened by poaching and habitat loss. They are hunted down for their horns, which are used in traditional medicine. It is estimated that Saiga antelopes’ numbers have gone down by 90% in the last decade. READ MORE