Kazakhstan Considering Saiga Culls

This seems like major a waste for such an unstable species. Considering that they are critically endangered, wouldn't moving a portion of that 10% to reattempt captivity for the species be a better plan?
 
ChunkyMunky pengopus said:
This seems like major a waste for such an unstable species. Considering that they are critically endangered, wouldn't moving a portion of that 10% to reattempt captivity for the species be a better plan?
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This is my concern too - Saiga populations are historically unstable, they are naturally a boom and bust species. Too many of the wrong sex or age group culled could prove disastrous should the population dive again.
I do not know how feasible the captivity idea is, though most likely it would be best carried out locally. The species just doesn't sustain itself well ex-situ.
 
Great Argus said:
"scientific advice"
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They didn't even bother to say who this "advice" came from. Besides, what major benefit would this hold? Even if they are eating crops, there are ways to protect crops without culling an endangered species. I hope this doesn't get put into action.
 
Wow, this sounds like a hair brained policy! I am sorry to hear that it was even proposed, especially for a critically endangered species, and might I add as brought up earlier, a very sensitive one at that.
 
Pantheraman said:
...Seriously?....This HAS to be a joke right?
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UngulateNerd92 said:
Wow, this sounds like a hair brained policy! I am sorry to hear that it was even proposed, especially for a critically endangered species, and might I add as brought up earlier, a very sensitive one at that.
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The species is booming right now, and while a cull seems potentially dangerous for whenever they hit the bust cycle, we don't know what effect the increased population is having over there. It may be how the government is hoping to avoid too much human-saiga conflict. Any time wildlife starts interfering with agriculture the locals start fighting back. I'm not of the opinion a cull is the best option, but we also don't know what's fully going on either.
 
Great Argus said:
This is my concern too - Saiga populations are historically unstable, they are naturally a boom and bust species. Too many of the wrong sex or age group culled could prove disastrous should the population dive again.
I do not know how feasible the captivity idea is, though most likely it would be best carried out locally. The species just doesn't sustain itself well ex-situ.
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They are clearly sensitive to climate and humidity (as well as flighty and nervous) - occurs to me that the 'prairie belt' in the USA would be potentially suitable outside of their native range?
 
oflory said:
They are clearly sensitive to climate and humidity (as well as flighty and nervous) - occurs to me that the 'prairie belt' in the USA would be potentially suitable outside of their native range?
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If the reason for the potential cullings is because of clashes with farmers over land, I can assure you that the Midwest and Great Plains of the US would not be suitable.
 
oflory said:
Quite right! :)
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Rereading your statement that interpretation makes much more sense, my apologies!
I'm not so sure that the climate in the Midwest would be the best match, but the western Great Plains might. San Diego had success in the semi-arid climate of the Safari Park, but most of the zoos (or major ones at least) in the Great Plains region are in the much wetter east.
 
I will say, if you go on the IUCN Red List and see the listing for Saiga (Saiga tartarica), they are listed as Critically Endangered with an overall Decreasing population trend, so with that information, that sounds like a bad idea... IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
I will say, if you go on the IUCN Red List and see the listing for Saiga (Saiga tartarica), they are listed as Critically Endangered with an overall Decreasing population trend, so with that information, that sounds like a bad idea... IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
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Last officially assessed four years ago though. Though probably still not too different and difficult to assess being a cyclical species.
 
Another idea, I realize that rather than pursuing a cull, maybe this could have been an opportunity to re-establish a captive breeding program, including the establishment of more captive breeding centers, bringing surplus animals if you will into such a program.
 
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