Endangered antelope 'may be wiped out

The demise of more than 2,000 critically endangered Saiga antelope in Mongolia was resulting from a disorder that could now threaten the whole populace.
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) scientists, who work within the affected grassland region of Western Mongolia, say the ailment originated in livestock.
It's miles a plague called PPR or Peste des Petits Ruminants.
WCS veterinary scientist Dr Enkhtuvshin Shiilegdamba told BBC news that 2,500 Saiga had already died.
The animal carcasses are burned to save you the spread of the ailment.
Fast spread
Researchers described the rate of the disorder unfold as "alarming".
"the primary case of PPR become showed in the Saiga on most effective 2nd January this 12 months," Dr Shiilegdamba instructed BBC information.
She and her colleagues say that that is the primary deadly infectious outbreak recognized to have happened on this populace of animals. And past this one, uncommon species, there is subject for the impact at the wider grassland environment.
"Many different species share this equal variety," explained Dr Shiilegdamba, "together with ibex and large-horned sheep."
"And there are approximately 1.Five million Mongolian gazelle that migrate through the jap a part of the u . S . A ..
"If this [spreads east] and hits the gazelle populace, it could be economically and ecologically devastating."
One foremost problem is that, with the disappearance of flora and fauna in the area, there could be a loss of prey for the endemic snow leopard.
As well as affecting the fitness and population of those carnivores, this will placed leopards at more threat of being shot via farmers - as a lack of untamed prey drives them to take cattle.
Herds of sheep, goats and other home livestock in the affected location had been vaccinated, however Dr Amanda first-rate, a vet with the WCS flora and fauna health application in Asia said that "in addition immunisation" become needed "in not only Saiga range areas however [in the habitats] of different affected species".
"We want to make sure the disease does now not unfold to unaffected populations," delivered Dr first-rate, "which will shop the final population of Mongolian Saiga from extinction".