Some times the scale of the projects we get involved with really does take the breath away. Here’s a great story that popped into my inbox recently describing work to help conserve another two Waleses of vital habitat, this time in Kazakhstan. The Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative aims to conserve a further 5m ha of steppe habitat (that’s the bit that’s about twice the size of Wales) doubling the area already protected.
One of the species to benefit is the oddly engaging saiga antelope (pictured) they are now recovering their numbers and conservationists will be finding out more about their annual migrations through twenty animals that have been given satellite tags.
The grazing saiga create just the right steppe habitat for the critically endangered sociable lapwing and great bustards – and helps to restore the Altyn Dala which means ‘Golden Steppe’. Come the spring the siaga will move through carpets of wild tulips – this is a special place on a massive scale and a testament to the vision and tenacity of all involved.
We’ll keep up with saiga as their migration unfolds.