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An increasingly rare species of antelope called the saiga may be roaming its last days in the wild.
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Native to the grassy steppes of Kazakhstan and nearby regions, populations of the critically endangered species have suffered one catastrophic die-off after the next over the past 15 years.
About 60,000 of the creatures died in four days alone in May 2015, Tia Ghose of Live Science reports.
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Conservationist and ecologist Steffen Zuther told Ghose that the speed, spread, and severity of the yet-unexplained killings "has not been observed for any other species," Zuther said. "It's really unheard of."
However, the recent deaths are only one event in the species' alarming, recent, and mysterious decline.
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Keep scrolling to learn more about the majestic animals — and what might be causing their imminent extinction.
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Saiga are grass-eating antelope that have an unusual, humped nose that drapes over their mouths.
Their appearance is sometimes compared to the popular TV sitcom character ALF.
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More than 90% of saiga live as a subspecies in the grassy steppes of Kazakhstan and parts of Russia. Another subspecies lives in Mongolia.
Saiga travel in herds of 30 to 40 animals, yet are known to migrate in clusters of tens of thousands of individuals. The World Wildlife Fund says these super-herds are among "the most spectacular migrations in the world."
But after the breakup of the Soviet Union, hunters, habitat loss, and disease outbreaks thinned millions of saiga to just 50,000 — a loss of 95% of the animals.
Conservationists banded together in 1994 to do something about the problem — and they did, helping grow populations to about 257,000 animals by April 2014.
Normally harmless gut bacteria called Clostridia, tag-teaming with Pasteurella, a type of bacteria that can cause blood infections, are thought to be responsible. Together they may be weakening the saiga's immune system and allowing both microbes to thrive.
Of the 257,000 animals counted in 2014, less than half are thought to be alive today. "This loss is a huge blow for saiga conservation in Kazakhstan and in the world, given that 90% of the global saiga population is found in our country. It is very painful to witness this," said Erlan Nysynbaev of Kazahkstan's Ministry of Agriculture in a May 2015 press release.