Two Countries Agree to Protect Saiga Antelopes

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan signed an agreement about saiga antelopes. They signed it at the COP31 climate meeting in Antalya. A saiga antelope is a wild animal.

Aziz Abdukhakimov signed for Uzbekistan. He is the chair of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan. Alibek Kuantyrov signed for Kazakhstan. He is the minister for Ecology and Natural Resources in Kazakhstan. The committee and the ministry made the agreement.

The committee said the goal was to protect nature in Central Asia. The countries plan to watch how many saiga there are. They also plan to watch where the animals move. They will share scientific information and experience. They will also do research projects together.

The countries want to fight poaching. Poaching means hunting animals illegally. They also want to stop illegal trade in saiga antelopes. They plan to make grasslands and water better where saiga live. They will make protected areas across the border and safe paths for the animals.

According to Kazakhstan's ministry, the countries will patrol together to protect nature. They also plan to develop programmes to bring saiga back to places where they lived before. They also plan field studies, animal counts and staff training.