Mysterious Killer Fells Strange Antelope
June 24, 2015
Scientists are searching for the cause of a mysterious illness that in May 2015 killed off more than a third of all saiga. Saiga are a critically endangered antelope that live on the steppes of Central Asia. The saiga is known for its strange appearance, with a flexible nose that somewhat resembles an elephant’s trunk. The saiga’s nose is an adaptation that serves two purposes: It filters out dust in the summer months and warms the air the animal breathes in winter.
Herds of saiga, an antelope that lives in Central Asia, died of mysterious causes in May 2015. (Credit: © Vladimir Sevrinovsky, Shutterstock)
Before the end of the last ice age, millions of saiga lived across Asia, reaching throughout Siberia and as far as what are now England and Alaska. Over the years, however, their numbers have declined. Modern hunters have reduced saiga numbers to a low of 50,000. People hunt saiga for the animal’s meat and for its horns, which are thought to have medicinal properties. Conservation efforts had led to a recovery in recent years, increasing saiga numbers to about 250,000. Then the mystery illness swept through saiga herds, killing perhaps 120,000 animals in the course of a few weeks.
Scientists rushed to the animal’s remote range to examine dead saiga and determine what happened to them. They found the dead saiga infected with two different types of bacteria, Pasteurella and Clostridium, but scientists do not think these agents caused the die-off. Rather, they think that another factor weakened the saiga, enabling the bacteria to overcome them. Possible causes include an unknown virus or an overgrowth of food plants harmful to the grazing antelopes.
Large-scale saiga die-offs have occurred in the past. But scientists were surprised by the severity of the most recent illness, which quickly killed entire herds. The deaths seem to have stopped for now, but scientists continue to look for their cause.
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