When we think of deer, we tend to think of sleek, graceful creatures
with long, slim legs that come to an end in perfect little shiny black hooves,
and trim little faces with smooth, proud features. The notable exception to the
“sleek” and “graceful” image, of course, being the moose, the biggest of the
deer family. But even he is somehow beautiful and impressive in his own big,
bulky, muscular sort of way.
When we think of deer, we may think of gray or toast colored fur, sprawling
antlers, and graceful leaps and impressive bounds.
When we think of deer, the last thing on this earth that we think of is an
elephant trunk.
And yet there is a deer out there who fits that very odd description.
Interestingly, I had never heard about the Saiga until I saw his picture in a
wildlife magazine just last week. He’s an interesting if unobtrusive little
fellow. He’s a member of the antelope family, and he stands just 2.5 feet (80
cm) at the tallest, and may be his biggest at 112 lbs. (51 kg). He has brownish
fur and two twisted horns standing straight up on top of his head.
All in all, he might be a relatively unremarkable little creature - - were it
not for that startling and unmistakable elephant’s trunk in the middle of his
face.
Okay, “elephant’s trunk” may be the tiniest bit of an exaggeration. An
elephant’s trunk can stretch out to an amazing 7 feet in length, while the
Saiga’s trunk barely flops below his chin. Nevertheless, you just simply don’t
ever expect to see a trunk in the middle of a deer’s face! It’s a very unusual
organ, albeit a useful one.
The scientists say it has a
couple of good uses. One is to make it easier to breath in the dusty world in
which it lives. It is found only in parts of Eastern Europe, in parts of
Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It actually filters all that yucky dust out,
making everyday life a little more pleasant for these creatures. In the winter,
that trunk also serves to warm up the cold air before it hits the animals
lungs, again, making the simple act of inhaling a little easier to pull off.
That trunk even plays a part in keeping the Saiga’s blood warm.
But all has not been well for
the Saiga of late. He is in a very dire
state with a conservation status of “Critically Endangered”. Their decline has been one of the most dramatic
in history. In the last 15 years, the Saiga population has dropped by an
unbelievable 95%. Of the individuals living in the year 2000, only 5% that many
remain alive today!
And what is the cause of this
terrible decline? Their horns. Those tall, twisted, impressive head pieces are
sought by many cultures as they’re believed to have medicinal properties. So,
poachers capture the animals and kill them, just to take those horns. No other
reason. Isn’t that something? I just barely learn this animal exists, and it’s
already almost gone!
The good news is there are
plenty of people and organizations out there that are not interested in taking
this quietly. There are laws being passed, smugglers and poachers being stopped
and education being provided.
The even better news is it’s
working. From their lowest count of just
20,000 animals a few years ago, the Saiga now number over 150,000!
Oh, they still face other
challenges, such as habitat loss, disease and politics and progress. But they
keep fighting. And those numbers show the fight can be won!
Mother Nature sure makes some
strong ones, doesn’t she?
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