Albino twins were born to a saiga female in the Kalmyk Mekletinsky nature reserve

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, an amazing incident occurred in the Mekletinsky federal nature reserve (Kalmykia) - a female saiga gave birth to albino twins. Photographer Petr Vorotnikov managed to take unique shots with unusual kids.

“In the recent history of the saiga population of the North-Western Caspian region, this phenomenon was recorded for the first time,” the agency said in a statement on its website.

The reserve is managed by the Chernye Zemlya nature reserve, whose director Bataar Ubushaev said that at the time of the discovery, the saiga calves were already running after their mother with might and main. This suggests that they were at least a week old.

“That is, the most dangerous period of the first days after birth, when helpless saiga calves lie hid in the grass and can become prey for steppe predators, is already behind us. And although they have much less chances for further survival than their typically colored relatives, let's hope that they will be able to survive in this wild world full of dangers, ”the ministry quotes Ubushaev.

According to him, albino saigas usually have certain health problems, primarily with their eyesight.

Such rare cases as the appearance of twins of albino saigas are necessarily recorded by the scientists of the reserve, who are trying to track the fate of unusual animals.

“At the same time, the appearance of single albino saiga occurs in the reserve almost every year. For example, in 2019, a pregnant female albino saiga was spotted in the Chernye Zemlya nature reserve. Because of her light color, she was nicknamed Snow White. It was also established that in the spring of 2020 she gave birth to one saiga calf of a typical color. She has not yet been seen on the territory of the reserve, ”the message says.

Since the beginning of May, the “silence regime” has traditionally been introduced in the Black Lands Reserve, since the most important period in the seasonal cycle of steppe antelopes begins - the birth of young animals.

Today, most of the range of the saiga population of the North-Western Caspian Sea lives in four protected areas of federal significance (the Black Lands reserve, the Mekletinsky, Sarpinsky, Kharbinsky nature reserves) and two regional ones (the Stepnoy and Tinguta nature reserves). ).

In 2021, a strategy for the conservation of the saiga in Russia was approved. The number of species in the country exceeds 15 thousand individuals.