Behavioral Study On The Saiga Antelope, Saiga Tatarica, In Its Main Reproductive Seasons Under Semi-Natural Conditions

As one of the famous and important animal species in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Saiga antelope once roamed on the semi-arid steppes of Central Asia in more than one million animals. However, the slaughter for its horn, meat and skins has caused the amount of this species decrease 95% in one decade and made destruction of the male saigas. In China, it disappeared from field survey records 30 years ago.In 1987, a reintroduction project was initiated in Wuwei Endangered Wildlife Breeding Center of Gansu, in order to recover the population of this species in China. From 1993, the saigas were released into an enclosure of 27ha area. The various vegetation types and topography was similar to the habitat in the wild. It provided the animals with a semi-natural condition. Scientific study of animals in such a condition may be a kind of transition from captive to wild. It can play important role in the conservation of target species.Considering that 1) reproductive behavior is vital to the survival and growth of either individual or population, and 2) examination on the variation between individuals in reproductive behavior will be important in understanding influence of environment changes on individual, present study focuses on the behavior patterns of the female saigas in their main reproductive seasons in that semi-natural condition. Following is a summary of the main results and discussion for the study.A systematic ethogram of 46 behavior patterns is established for those saigas (Chapter 3). The interpretation is composed of a description for action, position, probable function and related patterns. In addition, sex of probable initiator and receiver is given to social behavior pattern. Based on the ethogram, discussion was made on some special behaviors observed. It may provide further behavior study on this species with an important baseline.In view that analyzing the time structure could be a useful method to follow the living conditions, present study described the time budget and temporal activity patterns of the Saiga antelope in their mating and lactation seasons, and measured the difference between two sexes and among age-classes (Chapter 4). All the behaviors were aggregated into 6 behavioral categories. It was showed that lying and foraging were the principal activity of the saigas and occupied more than half of daytime. Bimodal peaks forthose two behavior patterns in daytime occurred in both sexes. Time budget of saigas changed markedly through those two main reproductive seasons in both sexes. The difference may be caused by the different reproductive strategies of two sexes. In comparison with younger saigas, older ones expended more time in social interactions leading to mating and representing energy expenditure in mating seasons. It was assumed that the saigas in middle age-classes (male:2-3 year old, female: more than 2 year old) may be most active animals in their herds in mating seasons.Because establishment and development of mother-young relationship within short lactation periods is vital to the survival and growth of calves, present study provides observation on the maternal saigas and their calves in the first 12 weeks of lactation in Chapter 5. Suckling behavior, vocal communication and distance between mother and their calves was analyzed.The results showed that suckling duration decline through 12 weeks and the first significant decline of suckling duration was between the 3rd-4th weeks. In contrast, the suckling intervals increased in those weeks, and first significant prolonging was between 4th-5th weeks. The calves were observed as suckling initiators firstly in the 3rd week. From the 11th week, the initiation rate of suckling of the calves became more than that of their mothers. It suggested that the period of 4th-6th week, and 11-12th week may be a turn for independency development of the saiga calves.Meanwhile, most suckling bouts were both initiated and terminated by maternal saigas, which may suggest that mothers were primarily responsible for determining t...