The saiga population that migrated to the Saratov region will be excluded from the Red List of the Russian Federation

Volga-Ural saigas will be excluded from the Red List of the Russian Federation to regulate their population. This was announced on Tuesday, July 15, by the press service of the regional Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology.

"A decision has been made to exclude Volga-Ural saiga antelopes from the Red List in order to regulate their population. Seasonal migration of Red Book saigas from the Republic of Kazakhstan is observed annually in the left bank of the Saratov region," the department wrote on its Telegram channel.

It is specified that about one million individuals have entered the region this year. With high numbers, animals cause damage to crops, pastures and hayfields, as well as reduce the availability of watering holes.

In this regard, the regional government appealed to the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation with a request to exclude the population of the Volga-Ural saiga from the Red Book of the country. In July, the relevant expert commission supported this proposal. At the same time, the saiga population of the Northwestern Caspian region remains under protection.

Based on the decision of the federal commission, a similar decision was made at the regional level. The Ministry is currently preparing regulations to amend the Red Book of the Saratov Region. Removing Volga-Ural saiga antelopes from the list will make it possible to regulate their numbers.

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The head of Rosprirodnadzor, Svetlana Radionova, in an interview with Izvestia on June 19, ruled out the danger in the Russian Federation against the background of mass migration of saigas. She stressed that a large number of individuals had moved to the country on their own, and clarified that many people found such an "escape" unfavorable.

Radionova also noted that work is currently underway to review the requirements of the Red Book. According to her, measures such as population regulation are extremely necessary to prevent negative consequences for agriculture and ensure harmonious coexistence with nature.