saiga
Bulbous-nosed ungulate
A saiga is a distinctive antelope native to the Central Asian steppes, recognizable by its bulbous, downward-pointing nose—an adaptation for filtering dust in summer and warming frigid air in winter.
Once numbering in the millions, saigas have suffered catastrophic population crashes from poaching and disease.
Saiga horns are prized in traditional Chinese medicine.
Grazing animals together
- grazingFeeding on pasture
- ungulateMammal with hooves
- hoofedHaving hard feet
- mammalWarm-blooded, milk-producing animal
bovid · ruminant · calving · cud-chewing · gazelle · impala · pronghorn · oryx
Treeless herb-covered ecosystem
- KazakhstanLargest landlocked country
- MongoliaCentral Asian landlocked nation
- RussiaEurasian federation, largest country
- Central AsiaContinental interior between Russia and Iran
plains · semi-arid · prairie · cold desert · tundra · drought · harsh winters · migratory route
Preventing waste or loss
- poachingUnlawful wildlife capture
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- vulnerableOpen to attack
protection · wildlife · die-off · mass mortality · population crash · critically endangered · recovery program · captive breeding
Ancient glacial geological period
- Ice AgeExtended global freeze
- megafaunaSpecies over 44 kilograms
- fossilsPreserved ancient organism traces
- paleontologyStudy of ancient organisms
herd
Grazing animals together
mammal · bovid · ruminant · calving · cud-chewing · gazelle · impala · pronghorn · oryx · wildebeest
grassland
Treeless herb-covered ecosystem
- KazakhstanLargest landlocked country
- MongoliaCentral Asian landlocked nation
- RussiaEurasian federation, largest country
Central Asia · plains · semi-arid · prairie · cold desert · tundra · drought · harsh winters · migratory route · rangeland
conservation
Preventing waste or loss
- poachingUnlawful wildlife capture
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
vulnerable · protection · wildlife · die-off · mass mortality · population crash · critically endangered · recovery program · captive breeding · anti-poaching
Pleistocene
Ancient glacial geological period