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Kazakhstan's Controversial Saiga Cull Sparks Debate

After a remarkable comeback, the sacred Saiga antelope faces a new threat. Kazakhstan's culling campaign raises questions about conservation and human activity.

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1 min read
It is an agriculture land many plants are plotted into the ground and in front of of the field...
It is an agriculture land many plants are plotted into the ground and in front of of the field there is a machine, it is spelling the water on the crops and behind the machine there are huge trees and behind the trees there are other types of crops.

Kazakhstan's Controversial Saiga Cull Sparks Debate

Kazakhstan has launched a controversial campaign to control the Saiga antelope population. Over 550 have been shot down in the first week, sparking concern and debate. The Saiga, a sacred animal in Kazakh culture, has seen its numbers soar due to successful conservation efforts.

The Saiga antelope, a mid-sized creature with a distinctive nose, has inhabited Kazakhstan and the Eurasian continent since the Stone Age. They can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. Despite their speed, the Saiga has faced threats from human activity and poaching for their horns, used in traditional medicine.

The Altyn Dala project, launched in 2005, has been instrumental in preserving the Saiga. It created protected areas and banned the use of Saiga products, leading to a remarkable increase in population from 21,000 in 2003 to 1.9 million in 2023. This success earned the project the Earthshot Prize and GBP 1 million in 2024.

However, the Saiga's resurgence has led to concerns about agricultural activity and field destruction. In response, the Ministry of Ecology has launched a campaign to regulate the population, aiming to shoot around 20 percent of the country's population by the end of November 2025. This decision has been met with criticism, as the Saiga is considered a sacred animal and a symbol of the Kazakh steppe by President Kassym-Jomart Toqayev.

The Saiga antelope, once on the brink of extinction, has made a remarkable comeback thanks to conservation efforts. However, the recent culling campaign has raised questions about the balance between conservation and human activity. The future of this sacred animal remains a topic of debate in Kazakhstan.

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