The press service of the "Black Lands" reserve has announced the results of the sex and age census of saiga antelopes. At the beginning of July 2023, the population was determined to have 22.4% adult males, 31.9% adult females, and 45.7% young of both sexes. The yield of young was 1.4 saiga calves per female.
Scientists recorded all saigas encountered on the route, differentiating them by sex and age. This approach allows the herd to be divided into three groups: adult males, adult females, and young. The more animals are counted, the more reliable the figures obtained will be.
The report notes that the data was collected over a month. Their analysis will allow us to assess the state of the population, analyze the fertility of females, and make a calculated forecast of the number of animals.
"Based on the baseline number of saigas last year and the results obtained, we estimate by calculation that the number of saigas in the population is currently at least 40 thousand individuals," the press service said.
The director of the reserve, Batar Ubushaev, said that the data obtained clearly demonstrates the positive dynamics of the population size, which, according to scientists' calculations, will continue to grow in the coming years.
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