Saiga antelope

FIGURE 3.13 The hair tuft (HT)ofthe Saiga antelope is possibly ascent distributor. (From Frey and Hofmann, 1997.)... 

Frey, R. and Hofmann, R. R. (1997). Skull, proboscis musculature and preorbital gland in the saiga antelope and Guenther s dikdik (Mammalia, Artiodactyla, Bovidae). Zoolo-gischerAnzeigerliS, 183-199. 

Very many animals that carry horns are protected, as they have been overhunted. An example is the Saiga antelope, which lives in northern Asia and has horns that are popular for use in oriental medicine. Many of the African homed animals are nowadays also protected. However, the types used today by the horn industry are plentiful and are freely available. Most of the material comes from domesticated animals, bred in captivity. The importation of horn into Europe is very strictly controlled and the material that arrives is cleansed and disinfected. Occasionally, horn from a particular source cannot be obtained because of a changing political situation in the country of export, or because of illness, such as foot and mouth, which stops all movement of animal products. 

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