saiga

Everyday

1. A saiga is a kind of antelope that lives on the dry grassy plains of Central Asia, with a big, soft, drooping nose. tree →
2. Its strange nose works like a filter: it warms cold air in winter and keeps out dust in summer. tree →

In the lessons

In science and geography lessons the saiga is an example of an animal adapted to harsh steppe weather and of an endangered species: many died from disease and hunting, and people work to protect them. In stories it can stand for wild, wide open land.

Examples

• A saiga has a nose that hangs over its mouth. tree →
• Saigas live on the steppes of Kazakhstan and Mongolia. tree →
• The saiga's nose filters dust from the air. tree →
• Thousands of saigas run together across the plains. tree →
• Hunters once killed many saigas for their horns. tree →
• Scientists count the saigas every year. tree →
• The saiga is listed as an endangered animal. tree →
• We saw a picture of a baby saiga in our nature book. tree →

Note

Countable noun: one saiga, two saigas. Pronounced «SY-guh». Only the males have horns. It is a real animal, not a cartoon or a made-up creature.