The catastrophe
Saigas in distressThe mystery of the dead antelopes
Chapter 1 The catastrophe
First, the animals get diarrhea. Then foam seeps from their noses and mouths. They begin to stagger, their legs buckle. In the end, they lie on the ground and suffocate. Death arrives just a few hours after symptoms first appear.
Mass mortality
Mass mortality
The scene of a tragedy
Kazakhstan is home to the world's largest saiga population. The Betpak-Dala herd in the center of the country was once the largest of the saiga groups. They roam the Altyn Dala or "Golden Steppe". The mass die-off in May 2015 extinguished almost the entire herd.
The riddle
Many questions remain unanswered:
How did the epidemic appear at different locations simultaneously? And why did all the infected saigas die and not just the weakened ones?
The departure
The expedition
Chapter 2The expedition
The challenge
The team
A big shopping spree
Everything but the kitchen sink:
40 kilograms of potatoes
10 kilograms of onions
15 kilograms of carrots
5 kilograms of tomatoes
1 kilogram of garlic
5 kilograms of rice
20 packets of pasta
10 heads of cabbage
30 tins of fish
10 kilograms of cookies
50 loaves of bread
500 liters of water
A live sheep
Don't forget to fuel up
An endless expanse
The search
Chapter 3The search
Just a few thousand saiga still live in this vast wilderness. A needle in a haystack, as the old adage goes.
Lost transmission
Signposts
Evening ritual
A land submerged
Battle of nerves
Chapter 4Battle of nerves
Mass grave
Pasteurella
It's usually harmless but can become deadly. If it does, the animals will die within a few hours.
Just before the great die-off, temperatures dropped by 30 degrees Celsius. The animals had already shed their winter coats. The theory: The stress of the cold weakened their immune systems and opened the way for infection.
A bloody business
Tiny vampires
The nadir
Each muddy pool costs valuable time.
And energy.
A test in patience
Once calving season is over, the saigas will move on and out of reach.
A kitchen on the steppe
The researchers are in luck: The weather is playing along.
Restless nights
Shooting stars
Hoards of healthy saigas.
The turning point
Chapter 5The turning point
Good news
They're just a few hours drive away.
A long march
The encounter
Calving season is nearly over. The researchers have arrived just in time.
Weights and measures
A deep breath
He gives the all-clear. They're healthy.
Time to relax
Not suitable for vegetarians
The ghosts of the steppe
Chapter 6The ghosts of the steppe
Tiptoe gently
Hopes and fears
Camera & photos:
Axel Warnstedt
Sound:
Moritz Polomski
Video editing:
Klaudia Begic
Producers:
Global Ideas
Executive producer:
Manuela Kasper-Claridge
Many thanks
Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK)