Kazakhstan Rare Saiga Antelopes die of Unknown Disease Killings of tens of thousands of endangered antelopes in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan have happened over the past two weeks. Scientists have been scratching their heads to figure out exact cause behind the demise of more than 120,000 rare saiga antelopes, an event that has been called "catastrophic" by the United Nations Environment Programme.According to experts at the United Nations, the mass killings of the rare antelopes are attributable to a combination of environmental and biological factors. However, researchers have so far not been able to pin the exact cause behind the disease outbreak.Mothers and calves account for the majority of victims. Scientists said in a report Thursday by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that not even a single animal managed to survive after getting affected by the disease.�Unseasonal wetness may have been something that lowered their immunity to infection but until we do more analysis we will not know anything for sure�, Steffen Zuther of the Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative told AFP.Richard Kock, a professor at the Royal Veterinary College in London who recently returned from Kazakhstan, said it was really extraordinary to know that the mortality rate among the affected herds is 100%. Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Karim Massimov has called for efforts to identify the cause behind the killings in such large numbers. Kock from the Royal Veterinary College in London said that the government has showed commitment to help resolve the issue. Scientists fear that the recovery for the antelope numbers from the recent killings will take a decade.