12,000 critically endangered Saiga antelope found dead in Kazakhstan

The cause of the deaths is still unclear and under investigation.

Mass mortality among Saigas in Kazakhstan: 12,000 dead

June 2010. Nearly 12,000 Critically Endangered Saiga antelopes have been found dead in the Ural population in western Kazakhstan.

"This is a tragic and shocking event. It's particularly unfortunate that the population was just emerging from an unusually harsh winter, and that those struck down are mostly females and this year's calves," said Prof. E.J. Milner-Gulland, Chair of the Saiga Conservation Alliance and a member of IUCN Species Survival Commission Antelope Specialist Group.

95% decline in population since 1995
The official 2009 estimate of the size of the Ural population was 26,000 animals. The Saiga is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to a 95% decline in its population size since 1995, caused by uncontrolled poaching in the aftermath of the break-up of the Soviet Union. It has only five populations, which are found in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia. In the last few years it has been showing some recovery, thanks to conservation efforts, however, the Ural population is the only group of Saiga without an internationally-supported conservation programme.

Deaths causes as yet unknown
The cause of the deaths is still unclear and under investigation. Although the deaths are currently being ascribed to the bacteria pasteurellosis, the underlying trigger remains to be identified. Pasteurellosis is caused by a bacterium that lives naturally in healthy individuals, but can cause acute illness and rapid death if the animal's immune system is compromised, either by another infection, poisoning, stress or malnutrition. Any of these explanations are possible.

"The Ural population has been relatively neglected by international conservation until now, but hopefully this event will bring government, national and international conservationists together to mount a coordinated response to save this remote population," said Milner-Gulland.

The Committee on Forestry and Hunting of the Kazakhstan within the Ministry of Agriculture has mounted a rapid response. These efforts are now being aided by local NGO, the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Kazakhstan, with the support of the Saiga Conservation Alliance, who are helping the government to investigate the cause of death. In addition, IUCN's Antelope Specialist Group members have been active in advising these organizations.

Courtesy of the Saiga Conservation Alliance 

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/saiga-kazakhstan.html

Urals man killed wife ‘believing she was a vampire’

A man from Kudymkar in Perm region axed his wife to death while believing that she was a vampire, according to police.

Ivan Chetin, aged 53, had been on a drinking spree "when he took an axe and started to chop everything around him". 

'He severed her hands, legs and head and also chopped off her breasts,' say local reports.

'It seemed to him that he was surrounded by vampires,' disclosed a source at the Kudymkar branch of the Investigative Committee of Russia.

'The man grabbed an axe and began to fight them. As a result, he struck his wife, then chopped her body and put the bleeding pieces to the bath.'

Having sobered up the man realised what he had done and confessed to his niece. She called the police who detained the 'axeman'. 

Chetin is awaiting trial and faced the prospect of up to 15 years in jail if found guilty of murdering his wife. 

His 54 year old spouse - who was not named -  was 'kind and loved Ivan', said a neighbour.

'She always kept their house tidy, and was very friendly'.

http://siberiantimes.com/weird-and-wonderful/news-and-features/news/urals-man-killed-wife-believing-she-was-a-vampire/