60000 Rare Antelopes Die Mysteriously Within Just Four Days (VIDEO)

A staggering 60,000 rare antelopes have died within the space of just four days in Kazakhstan. Now, researchers are trying to figure out what killed the animals, called Saigas, in order to make sure that it doesn't occur again.

Sagas are critically endangered species, and can be found on the steppes of Kazakhstan and nearby regions. Yet these animals have suffered one catastrophic die-off after the next over the past 15 years.

Scientists believe that a normally harmless bacteria played a role in this latest mas die-off. But exactly how these microbes suddenly became so deadly is still a mystery.

"The extent of this die-off, and the speed it had, by spreading throughout the whole calving herd and killing all the animals, this has not been observed for any other species," said Steffen Zuther, one of the researchers, in an interview with LiveScience. "It's really unheard of."

In 2014, the saiga population numbered aabout 257,000. Now, the total count is less than one half of that population due to the massive die-offs.

Currently, researchers are working to find out why these animals are dying off in massive groups and what role the bacteria plays. If researchers don't find out soon and find a solution, though, these animals may continue to die off in mass numbers.

Want to learn more? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.

Related Stories

Mass Die-Offs of Fish and Birds Rise Over 70 Years

Scientists Identify the Mysterious Virus that Causes Sea Stars to Melt

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).