Saiga Antelope: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Mountains and Deserts · day 1 of 7

Five facts

1. The saiga has a swollen, droopy nose that hangs down over its mouth, with two nostrils set close together, like a short trunk.
2. This small antelope is a fast runner: it can hold 40 km/h for several kilometres and speed up to 80 km/h over 800 metres.
3. Long ago, saigas roamed the cold grassy plains all the way from England and France to Alaska.
4. Saigas graze in huge herds, and their menu includes some plants that would poison other animals.
5. In spring, saiga mothers gather by the thousands in the same place to have their babies together.

The quiz

1. What makes the saiga's face so unusual?

• A long tusk on each side of its mouth
• A swollen nose that points downward (correct)
• A pair of horns on the tip of its nose
• A pouch under its chin

Its nostrils are bloated and point down, a bit like a short trunk.

2. How fast can a saiga run over 800 metres?

• About 10 km/h
• About 20 km/h
• About 200 km/h
• About 80 km/h (correct)

It can speed up to about 80 km/h over 800 metres.

3. Long ago, how far west did saigas live?

• As far as England and France (correct)
• Only as far as Mongolia
• Only as far as China
• Only as far as the Ural Mountains

Their range once stretched from England and France to Alaska.

4. What surprising food can saigas eat?

• Fish from steppe rivers
• Plants that are poisonous to other animals (correct)
• Bird eggs
• Insects dug from the sand

Their diet holds several plants that are toxic to other animals.

5. About how many adult saigas did Kazakhstan count in spring 2025?

• About 3,900
• About 39,000
• About 3.9 million (correct)
• About 390

Kazakhstan's saigas reached about 3.9 million adults in spring 2025.

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