Saiga antelope (бөхөн) have goofy melty faces. Their muppet noses filter out dust so they can handle

Saiga antelope (бөхөн) have goofy melty faces. Their muppet noses filter out dust so they can handle desert life in Mongolia and Kazakhstan.

I wrote about the mysterious deaths of half the world’s бөхөн population last winter, but luckily the small group living in Mongolia was unaffected. This year so far about 900 have died in Mongolia as well, but at least now we have a pretty good guess as to the cause: Ovine rinderpest, an African disease that infects goats and sheep. Mongolia had its first major cases last year, prompting scientists to check бөхөн corpses, which also tested positive for the disease.

Mongolia has started a vaccination program for livestock, which should help meltyface muppet deer too.