The Scimitar-horned Oryx, so named for its magnificent curved horns, is now thought to be extinct in the wild, hunted to the brink of extinction for its meat and exceptionally robust hide. The stocky body is a pale color, with brown markings on the face and a reddish-brown neck and chest area. The large, spread hooves allow these Antelope to walk on the sand of their dry habitat.
Range
The Scimitar-horned Oryx, names after the Middle Eastern curved sword, was once one of the most common large mammals of northern Africa with a range extending from Morocco and Tunisia to Egypt, reaching south to Mauritania and Sudan. The range rapidly declined throughout the 20th Century, until in 1980 it was known only from Chad and Niger with a few individuals in Mali and Sudan. The Scimitar Oryx species is believed to have become Extinct in the Wild in 1999.
Habitat
Scimitar Oryx inhabit sub-desert areas, the area between true desert and the Sahel where the annual rainfall is less than 14 inches, and lives in dunes, wooded depressions between dunes and grassy steppe.
Biology
The Scimitar Oryx species is well adapted for survival in the dry areas it inhabits; it is able to live for nine to ten months without drinking, thanks to a number of specializations including kidneys that minimize urine production and an ability to reach body temperatures of 116°F before beginning to perspire. In the wild, the Scimitar Oryx lived in groups of up to 40, with much larger herds forming at certain times of year. In the wet season these herds migrated to the north, returning at the onset of the dry season. Scimitar Oryx births occur mainly in March and October, and the female will separate herself from the herd for a few hours while she calves. The Scimitar Oryx young become fully independent at around 14 weeks of age. Browsing in the relative cool of the early morning and evening, the Scimitar Oryx feed on a wide range of grass species, foliage, and fruit.
Threats
Originally the Scimitar Oryx began to decline as a result of major climatic changes that caused the Sahara region to become dry. As the Sahara desert expanded, two populations of this Scimitar Oryx became increasingly isolated. The northern population was mostly lost prior to the 20th Century. The decline of the southern Scimitar Oryx population accelerated as Europeans began to settle the area and hunting for meat, hides, and horn-trophies increased. It is thought that World War Two and the Civil War in Chad during the 1980s impacted heavily on the species through an increase in hunting for food.
Conservation
The Scimitar Oryx species has successfully been bred in captivity and in 1985, five captive-bred pairs were reintroduced to Tunisia, and by 1989 the herd had produced 4 wild-born calves. Captive-bred Scimitar Oryx now exist in healthy numbers in both Tunisia and Morocco, and have been reintroduced into Senegal. Scimitar Oryx have also been introduced to Israel, although this was not within the historic range. Recent reports of sightings of Scimitar Oryx in Chad and Niger have been investigated but no animals found.
