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Spot the saiga! Get involved with monitoring the Russian Steppe wildlife in Stepnoi reserve, including critically endangered saiga, wolves, and foxes.
Camera traps have been placed at different artesian wells and will be used to monitor them for over a year. Whilst we will be monitoring the impact of water availability on animal use, and how different animals use artesian wells, the focus of this project is the charismatic saiga antelope!
Unfortunately, due to poaching the saiga antelope is currently critically endangered. Extensive hunting of males for their horns means the species is left with a severe sex bias that is hindering population growth. With the help of volunteers, we want to not only monitor the saiga populations but also estimate a sex ratio.
The data collected and analysed with help from the public community will be used in scientific literature, restoration of artesian wells and efforts to keep the saiga species safe.
The research is being carried out in collaboration with the Saiga Conservation Alliance in the Stepnoi reserve
