Using Motorbikes To Save Kazakhstan’s Antelope With A ‘Bloated’ Nose

Riding a cross-country motorcycle equipped with nets may seem like a scene out of Mad Max, but it plays a crucial role in the conservation efforts for a species that survived the Ice Age in Kazakhstan.

Albert Salemgareyev, the Lead Specialist of the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, recalls hearing about the Saiga Antelope as a boy, and now he is dedicated to protecting this unique animal from extinction.

“This antelope has a memorable nose – soft, bloated, and mobile, resembling a trunk,” Salemgareyev explains, noting that thousands of these ungulates embark on long migrations of 600 to 700 kilometers in search of food, water, and to escape the harsh winter climate.

To understand if the Saiga Antelopes had altered their migration routes and to assess threats to their survival, the team decided to track the animals using satellite devices.

However, there was a challenge: due to the peculiarities of the Saiga Antelope, tranquilizers were not a viable option, so they had to devise an alternative method to capture these animals in the vast steppes of Kazakhstan.

“That’s where our innovative mobile netting technique using cross-country motorbikes came into play,” Salemgareyev explains, “As a result, we have successfully tagged over 200 saigas with satellite transmitters since 2009.”

This work has yielded valuable migration data and identified migration corridors for three Saiga Antelope populations in Kazakhstan, leading to a rise in the number of saigas from historic lows to 1.8 million.

“These findings should be shared and, if possible, applied to other species both in Kazakhstan and other countries,” Salemgareyev emphasizes, also noting that this work has contributed to the expansion of the network of Protected Areas in Kazakhstan.

In 2023, Albert Salemgareyev was awarded the prestigious Whitley Award by the UK charity Whitley Fund for Nature in recognition of his outstanding conservation work with the saiga antelope.

Face to Face

Salemgareyev grew up in a small village near the Naurzum reserve in northern Kazakhstan, which was established in 1931.

“That’s where my fascination and interest in wildlife started,” he recalls, “As a schoolboy, I would visit the reserve’s office every week to observe the staff’s work and choose my path in nature conservation.”

It wasn’t until Salemgareyev became a biology student that he had his first encounter with a saiga antelope, which was a stroke of luck considering their critical decline at the end of the last century.

“This encounter with a saiga motivated me to make a decision, and after completing my university studies, I joined the team at ACBK to study saigas and their travel patterns for the past 13 years,” he explains, “Every time I believe I know everything about them, they surprise me once again!”

Salemgareyev emphasizes the importance of preserving the vast undeveloped areas in Kazakhstan for biodiversity conservation.

“It is crucial for us to protect these areas and study the species that once thrived here, as well as restore those that have vanished,” he emphasizes, “For example, I am currently coordinating the reintroduction of the kulana to Central Kazakhstan, a species that requires expansive open spaces. The steppe and semi-desert ecosystems rely on large ungulates like the saiga to maintain their balance.”

Mammal Conservation

Tulshi Laxmi Suwal, the founder of the Small Mammals Conservation and Research Foundation in Kathmandu, Nepal, is another scientist from the Global South who has dedicated her life to studying and protecting the species and landscapes she grew up around.

Nepal is home to two of the eight species of pangolins: the Chinese pangolin and the Indian pangolin. These creatures are known as “friends of farmers” due to the essential ecosystem services they provide, with a single pangolin consuming 70 million ants and termites per year.

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Despite being discouraged from studying “small mammals” like pangolins, Suwal persevered and is now a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Pangolin Specialist Group.

“I have earned the reputation of the ‘pangolin lady’ both in my home country and internationally after working with pangolins for 15 years,” she remarks, “Unlike some other wildlife, pangolins are shy and gentle, so there was no physical risk involved in conducting my studies.”

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