Farmers in Russia’s Saratov region have appealed to President Vladimir Putin for assistance in managing an influx of saiga antelopes that have migrated from Kazakhstan and are devastating their crops.
The appeal, posted on popular farmers’ channels on Telegram, stated that the saiga population has grown uncontrollably in recent years, reaching up to one million in Russia alone.
Saratov, located along the Volga River, is Russia’s sixth-largest grain-producing region, with an annual harvest of approximately 4 million metric tons, representing 3.5% of Russia’s total grain harvest.
Farmers reported that around 500,000 saigas crossed into Russia from Kazakhstan at the end of May. They added that thousands have drowned in local rivers, contaminating the water supply.
Read more: EU to approve Bulgaria’s euro bid
“We hope for your understanding and assistance in resolving this situation, which threatens the very existence of agriculture in our region,” the farmers said in their appeal. Culling or hunting saigas, which were nearly extinct in the 1990s, is prohibited in Russia.
A separate letter to Putin, signed by heads of the region’s leading farms and obtained by Reuters, noted that crop losses from saigas are not covered by insurance because the animal is not yet classified as an agricultural pest.
The Saratov regional Ministry of Agriculture said on Tuesday that it has established damage assessment commissions and is developing a mechanism to support farmers.
The increase in the population of saigas, easily identified by their distinctive trunk-like nose that filters sand particles from the desert air, is considered a global conservation success story.
Evgeny Karabanov from Kazakhstan’s Grain Union lobby group told Reuters that an estimated 4.0-4.5 million antelopes are currently roaming in Kazakhstan, compared to only 25,000 in the 1990s.
“Their migration area has significantly expanded… No one is asking them for passports,” Karabanov said.
