The Department of Environmental Hygiene of Tashkent State Medical University hosted an event called “International Saiga Day”, dedicated to May 5 – “Saiga Protection Day”. This date was established in 2010 at a conference held within the framework of the SOS Saiga program with the participation of representatives of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia. Every year on May 5, special attention is paid to the protection of these unique animals, and educational events are held.
At the beginning of the event, the head of the department, Professor Salomova F.I. Saiga or saiga is a rare antelope on the verge of extinction. The species is listed in the Red Book of Uzbekistan, in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
In the past, saiga antelopes were numerous, but since the 1990s their numbers have decreased by 99.5%. The habitat covers several countries: Kazakhstan, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In order to restore the saiga population in 2016, the complex (landscape) reserve “Saiga” with a total area of 848.1 thousand hectares, including a protected area of 219.8 thousand hectares, was created in Muinak and Kungrad districts of Karakalpakstan.
In addition, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the conservation and restoration of saigas, as well as an intergovernmental agreement on their protection and reproduction.
At the event, students were provided with information about these animals in the form of two presentations, a question-and-answer contest was held, and a video clip about saigas was shown. The most touching moment about these beautiful animals was expressed in a poem that the student read. At the end of the event, everyone left suggestions on how to save saigas on a prepared poster.
Let’s save these wonderful animals!
