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Main achievements: Right across the saiga's range we are in continual contact with local government, enforcement and rangers to provide advice, training and support where we can. For example in Uzbekistan we recently held three workshops for rangers and customs officials, held an awareness campaign and produced supporting literature about the illegal wildlife trade.
umber of workshops – 3 (2 in Nukus and 1 in Tashkent)
2 follow up presentations ~200 customs people and ~200 border guards
Main achievements:
On 28th-29th August 2017, the Russian Academy of Science’s Institute of Ecology & Evolution, San Diego Zoo and the Saiga Conservation Alliance hosted a two-day workshop to exchange knowledge and develop a strategic plan regarding the role of specialist captive breeding centres in saiga conservation.
Representatives of the saiga range states – Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China and Mongolia – participated in the meeting. The workshop was also attended by the officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Russia, European and American zoos, and international conservation NGOs including IFAW, WCS and WWF.
Main achievements: We have recruited an excellent collaborator in the UK, who is very keen to work with SCA colleagues to implement this research, and has a lot of experience in similar work (Dr David Roberts, University of Kent).
We have recruited two volunteers to work with us on monitoring the Russian and Chinese language websites. We have a researcher working at The University of Oxford, who in 2017 carried out a comprehensive baseline survey.
Steppe Wildlife Clubs: Steppe Wildlife Clubs have been set up in Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to inspire mainly teenage children to take an interest in the nature around them.
In 2017 this ecological festival drew a large audience in (>3000 people in Uzbekistan alone): from kindergarten and primary school kids to adults of all ages.
Saiga Day often includes sports (Saiga cup - football and volleyball), a saiga poster contest and an ecological theater competition, traditional performances, gala-show and award ceremony.
Day of migratory species: A new initiative to inspire young people and tell them about animals further afield and the importance they all play in their ecosystems).
In autumn 2017 during the saiga migration we organized Day of Migratory Species. 450 students from four Steppe Wildlife clubs organized lectures about selected migratory species. Senior students gave talks on behalf of their selected animal to junior students.
Read more here
Protected Areas Day: This day ran in February 2017 in Russia and Uzbekistan as part of an international initiative for the 100th anniversary of the Protected Areas system in Russia and neighbouring countries.
Over 2,000 people, young and old, took part in events celebrating protected areas in Uzbekistan, Russia and around the world, including visits to Protected Areas.