Saiga Antelope Migration — Kazakhstan

About this spectacle

On the vast Betpak-Dala steppe of central Kazakhstan, hundreds of thousands of saiga antelope — prehistoric creatures with an improbably swollen, trunk-like nose — surge across an almost featureless horizon in one of the last mass mammal migrations on Earth. At dawn, the ground seems to vibrate before you see them: a living brown river pouring over the flat grassland, the air thick with dust and the low rumble of hooves. The saiga's unusual nose, evolved to filter dust and warm frigid air, gives each animal an otherworldly appearance up close. Calving aggregations in late spring concentrate tens of thousands of animals in a single valley, while autumn movements push vast herds toward warmer southern pastures. The silence of the empty steppe breaks suddenly into overwhelming noise and motion — then, as quickly as they arrived, they are gone, leaving only trampled grass and distant dust.

When to go

Apr — Oct, peak Oct — Jun

Getting there

Nearest airport: KGF. Nearest city: Karaganda.

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