The population of saigas, many of which are now migrating from Kazakhstan to The Saratov region has grown 10-fold over the past two or three years, to 2 million individuals. This was reported to TASS by associate professor of the Department of Animal Morphology and Ecology of Saratov National Research State University named after Chernyshevsky (SSU) Alexander Belyachenko.
The invasion of saigas from the territory of Kazakhstan is noted in several districts of the Saratov region. The Ministry of Agriculture of the region TASS reported that in About 1 million heads entered the Saratov Region in late May — early June. Animals are causing damage to farms in the region. The regional authorities decided to provide financial support to the affected farmers.
"There has long been a Ural saiga population in Western Kazakhstan. Usually there are about 150-170 thousand individuals in it. Now there are about 2 million of them, that is, the number has increased 10-fold over the past two or three years," Belyachenko said.
According to the scientist, the saiga is a very ancient species, a representative of the "mammoth" fauna. These animals have been migrating across the steppes for thousands of years in search of suitable pastures. As the agency's interlocutor explained, steppes are still preserved in Western Kazakhstan, but their ecological capacity is severely limited — 2 million saigas will not be able to feed there, TASS reports.