3 min read SOLVED: Why 200,000 Endangered Antelope Mysteriously Died

Update (4/18/16): Recent lab results have confirmed theories that last May's mass die-off of 211,000 saigas (initially estimated at 60,000) was caused by a bacteria-related infection. While scientists have pinpointed Pasteurella multocida as the culprit, they have yet to determine what triggered this normally harmless bacteria to become so deadly. Another mass die-off took its toll on an already endangered species as 60,000 animals mysteriously died earlier this summer. And we still don't know why, according to a recent article in Live Science.

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Saigas, a type of antelope known for their prominently shaped noses, have been dying at alarming rates this year. Though other species occasionally experience massive die-offs, this one is particularly worrisome, because there are only a few saiga herds left in the world: several in Kazakhstan, one in Russia and one in Mongolia. Live Science recently interviewed geoecologist Steffen Zuther, who was in Kazakhstan studying a herd of 60,000 saigas, when the incident occurred. In just four days, the entire herd was gone.

60,000 Antelopes Died in 4 Days — And No One Knows Why http://t.co/XxM0l4gUia http://t.co/lYZAIafJ46 — Live Science (@LiveScience)