In gigantic herds y have been drawing for millennia through steppes of Saiga in Eurasia, which extends over present state borders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia and Russia: Saiga antelopes. Two years ago, a mysterious plague roused large parts of already threatened population.

More than 60 percent of total antelope population died at that time within only three weeks – a large part were newborn calves. Only a few hours after y became ill, most of animals were depressed by internal bleeding and organ failure. Early on, cause of death of individual animals was clarified: an infection with bacterium Pasteurella multocida. But it remained mysterious why this bacterium, known among ungulates, could at one time trigger such a mass death: After all, it has most Saiga antelopes in it and it becomes dangerous only if something else weakens your immune system.

The scientist also mysteriously appeared that during outbreak of plague Antelopes died on an area of 250,000 square kilometers – three times size of Austria. It is impossible, refore, that all animals can be infected with each or in such a short time. So what triggered sudden mass extinction?

Even poaching threatens animals

As researchers from Zoological Society in Frankfurt now report in Science Advances magazine (Kock et al. 2018), decisive factor was wear. Above-average high temperatures and high humidity created ideal conditions for propagation of orwise harmless bacteria, scientists write. They found that species are generally susceptible to such mass deaths – especially at high temperatures and high humidity.

Series species protection The last of ir kind

What researchers have long warned about, Living Planet Report 2016 has recently proven: world loses its animals, ir plants, ir nature. Many habitats have disappeared within decades or have lost significantly in quality. Within about 40 years, herds of vertebrates have more than halved on average, each year re were two percent fewer animals. And extinction of species continues. Many animals disappear from planet even before most people know about ir existence. To honor m, time online in series presents last of ir kind to some of se endangered beings.

"The results now available do not only solve a riddle, but hopefully also help us to improve protection of Saigas," said Steffen r of Zoological Society Frankfurt and co-author of study. Even before extraordinary mass extinction in year 2015, animals on Red List of endangered species were classified as "threatened by extinction". There were about one million of se animals in Central Asia in early 1990s, today only around 180,000.

The wear as a decisive factor had already been suspected by researchers, but only now could this be substantiated in study. And it shows: in course of global warming in Saiga steppe, if such heat periods occur more frequently, epidemics could also have serious consequences.

Anor threat to animals is poaching. Saiga meat is popular with many residents in southwestern Russia. In addition, poachers have horns of antelope, which are also used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). "In view of all se threats, it is conceivable that a recurrence of mass extinction could decimate population to a level that would make it impossible to recover. Only if we have large stocks in long run, can Saiga antelope survive in a permanent way, "said r.

Date Of Update: 19 January 2018, 12:03