This Animal Looks Like It's Straight Out Of A Star Wars Movie, And It's Critically Endangered (14 Images)

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Feb 25, 2023 6:00 PM EST

This is the Saiga antelope - it's like the forbidden love child of a deer and an elephant, most widely known for its oversized nose. It used to roam all over the Eastern hemisphere, but now they can only be found one location in Russia and three locations in Kazakhstan. This adorable little alien uses its oversized schnoz (that's slang for nose, don't get any dirty ideas) to filter out sand during the dry seasons and keep it cool.

Unfortunately, their numbers have been drastically reduced because of illegal poaching. Some people believe that their horns have medicinal properties and as a result they have been hunted to near extinction. There have been efforts to rehabilitate their numbers, but in recent years the conservation herds have been riddled with disease, killing over 40% of the Saigas in conservation.

If you would like to learn how to help these poor aliens survive on Earth, click here.

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01

via IJestForALiving

We're still going back and forth about if we think it's cute or not. On one hand, it's very fuzzy, and that weird trunk/nose is so weird looking that we're kind of in love. On the other hand….it looks like an alien. A cute alien, though!
02

via IJestForALiving
03

via IJestForALiving

This little fawn is pretty cute. It has a normal-looking schnoz (we're trying to make it popular to say "schnoz" again), and it really looks really cuddly. Too bad there are so few of them left. They'd be great at petting zoos!
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via IJestForALiving
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via IJestForALiving
06

via davescifi1350
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via davescifi1350
08
All along the western front

via GrouchyMarx
09
There's something cold and blank behind her smile

via GrouchyMarx
10
Don't forget this fact, you can't get it back

via GrouchyMarx
11
Nothings gonna stop me from floating

via GrouchyMarx
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Educate yourselves

via GrouchyMarx
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via davescifi1350
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via ElijahBear11