The Ustyurt Plateau, spanning Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, is one of the last intact desert ecosystems in Eurasia – but border fences, new roads, and energy and rail infrastructure are slicing this landscape into smaller pieces, severing ancient migration routes and blocking species like saiga antelope and goitered gazelles from vital habitats. Isolated from the prey they need to hunt, and increasingly exposed to poaching, wolves and the Persian leopard are being pushed to the brink

Fauna & Flora is working on both sides of the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan border to reconnect this fractured landscape. We'll equip and train ranger teams with the supplies and technology they need to patrol and protect these vital species. Our teams will survey saiga and goitered gazelle in the Saigachiy Reserve, building on approaches that helped saiga numbers rebound in Kazakhstan. We’ll also work with Border Services to modify fences and install camera traps to monitor wildlife crossing patterns.