saiga

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Antelope Saiga tartarica of eastern European and western Asian steppes and deserts. Buff-coloured, whitish in winter, it stands 75 cm/30 in at the shoulder, with a body about 1.5 m/5 ft long. Its nose is unusually large and swollen, an adaptation which may help warm and moisten the air inhaled, and keep out the desert dust. The saiga can run at 80 kph/50 mph.

Only the male has horns, which are straight and up to 30 cm/1 ft long. The saiga is threatened by the demand for its horn for use in traditional Chinese medicine. Once a vanishing species, it is now protected; in 1994 it was listed in Appendix II of CITES, requiring a special permit for trade. The total 1995 population was about 1 million.

The arms show a Bible open at the Gospel of St John, a Trinitarian symbol. The white cross symbolizes faith. The arms appear on national and state flags. Effective date: 14 September 1863. >>