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'Those who conserve nature are worthy of respect' - B. Batsaikhan
Mr. B. Batsaikhan is leader of the Saiga Ranger Network (SRN) team actively working in the Altai Sayan region of Western Mongolia.
The editor of Saiga News interviews B. Batsaikhan
Nature inspires and enriches our lives, contributes to our wellbeing and delivers the ecosystem services we need to survive. Moreover, conserving endangered species makes a significant contribution to a country's national and international obligations.
February 2012 saw the centenary of the birth of Arkady
Aleksandrovich Sludsky, a famous zoologist and Fellow of the
Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan. He was the founder of research
into vertebrates in Kazakhstan and founded the Laboratory of
Mammals in the Institute of Zoology, which he headed from 1949 to
1977. His zoological interests were quite wide, but the saiga held
a very prominent place in his research.
Alexander Grigoryants is acting head of the State Biocontrol
Department of the Nature Protection Committee of the Republic of
Uzbekistan. He has worked on the protection of Uzbekistan's unique
natural heritage for many years. He is also in charge of the
implementation of international conventions including CITES and
CMS, which cover saiga conservation actions.
The editor of Saiga News interviews Alexander Grigoryants
The most striking memorable moments of his career are connected
with his operational work combatting poaching.
Aslan Baideldinov is an animal husbandry technician who has been
working at the Centre for Wild Animals of the Republic of Kalmykia
since 2003.
The Saiga News editorial team carried out a telephone interview
with him.
Editor: Aslan, how did you start working on saiga
conservation?
I have been fond of animals since I was a kid. We kept ducks,
geese, cows and sheep at home. Our parents taught us to take care
of the animals day-to-day. I knew all our animals by sight and all
of them had names. I first saw saigas when I was at primary school.
There were lots of them then and we often observed them passing by
our school. When I first saw them I formed a lifelong memory of
these animals, the…
Professor Amankul Bekenov was voted the Saiga Conservation
Alliance's (SCA) first Honorary Member in recognition of his
tireless service for saiga antelope conservation over many years.
The Steering Committee of the SCA is proud to have served with this
distinguished scientist. He is also the first Saiga Hero.
E.J. Milner Gulland, Chair of the Saiga Conservation Alliance,
pays tribute to Amankul
Amankul Bekenov's research covered both field work and analysis,
and concerned the ecology and conservation of a range of mammal
species.
Editor: When did you first become interested in saigas?
B.Ch.:I was born and spent my childhood in Uvs province, Western Mongolia, where we have the most pristine zones with rich biodiversity. At that time, my curiosity and fascination with nature started. After that, my interest grew so much I decided to pursue biology at the National University of Mongolia and become interested in Mongolia's rare and endangered animals, including the Mongolian saiga antelope.
Editor: When did you start to work on saiga research and conservation?