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Finally, an unknown trigger turned a naturally occurring microbe in the saiga’s characteristic nose into a virulent pathogen, leading to the mass die-offs.

Herds of herbivores, including endangered saiga antelopes and Przewalski’s horses, roam in the Askania-Nova preserve, which is currently occupied by Russian forces, he said.

The saiga has seen a dramatic turnaround in fortunes.

“When the temperature gets really hot, and the air gets really wet, saiga die. Climate is the trigger, Pasteurella is the bullet.”

The court also sentenced four others to six years each for poaching saiga, a critically endangered species whose horns are used in traditional Chinese medicine.