Home sweet Home – Release of a baby saiga

Society
b.binderiya17@gmail.com
2023-02-01 17:46:50

Ulaanbaatar, February 1, 2023 /MONTSAME/. What a great news we have! A baby saiga has been saved and released to its native Homeland in Zavkhan soum of Uvs province. 

Few days from now a little saiga, chased by a dog, ran into herder Namsrai’s ger, terrified but safe. Right away Namsrai informed local saiga conservationist Badamjav, who in turn, called soum veterinarians and wildlife biologists. Initial checkups showed that it is a 2022 offspring with six teeth and with no symptoms of infectious disease. Fortunately, he was in good condition except for the hoofs that had small cracks, probably because, in fear, he had to run over sharp stones and rocks to save his life.  


 

Here’s what’s happened…

Few days from now a little saiga, chased by a dog, ran into herder Namsrai’s ger, terrified but safe. Right away Namsrai informed local saiga conservationist Badamjav, who in turn, called soum veterinarians and wildlife biologists. Initial checkups showed that it is a 2022 offspring with six teeth and with no symptoms of infectious disease. Fortunately, he was in good condition except for the hoofs that had small cracks, probably because, in fear, he had to run over sharp stones and rocks to save his life. To treat the hoofs, the vets put on healing ointment and carefully looked after him feeding with fresh hay and fodder until the wounds have healed.

 

Luckily, our little saiga has showed a quick recovery and a group of experts from provincial Environmental agency and WWF-Mongolia’s western region office decided to release this little one to his natural habitat in Tataal Khev which a northern part of historical range of Mongolian saiga located in Zavkhan soum of Uvs province. Hopping on his strong feet a baby saiga is now happy to be Home! We have no doubt our saved saiga will have a warm welcome back to his herd.

 

Over 70 years ago Tataal Khev, a beautiful landscape with desert steppe ecosystem, used to be a home to Mongolian saiga. Unfortunately, up until 2013 not a single head of this animal was observed in this habitat. As of November 2022 thanks to favorable climatic conditions and conservation interventions that WWF-Mongolia and its partners have undertaken, the number of Mongolian saiga in Tataal Khev counted at 212 out of the total 13925 found across Mongolia.

 

Source: WWF-Mongolia