Arabian Oryx
Oryx leucoryx
In the vast deserts of the Middle East the oryx was hunted to extinction in the 1970s. It has now been reintroduced to the wild from captive herds bred in zoos.Arabian oryx live in small herds, usually with fewer than 10 animals per group, which lessens the impact of their feeding on the sparse desert vegetation. They generally feed early in the day, then rest, and feed again before finding shade for the hottest part of the afternoon. The animals move around seasonally between feeding places and may use a total area of several thousand square miles in a year. They seem able to detect rain at a distance; they travel to the area affected to feed on the new growth of plants. Oryx prefer rocky or stony plains to soft sand and steep mountains. Big-game hunters used to pursue oryx for trophies, and for generations the animals were hunted by men riding on camels. Although some escaped, many did not, and they were steadily eliminated from countries such as Syria, Egypt, and Israel. By the 1950s the increased availability of four-wheel drive vehicles, abundant fuel, automatic rifles, and oil-based local wealth combined to make hunting in Arab countries both more widespread and more efficient. Gunmen in vehicles hunted the animals to extinction. The last wild oryx were killed in the 1970s.
Status Arabian oryx (white oryx)
Oryx leucoryx
- Family: Bovidae
- World population: Over 2,000, most in captivity
- Distribution: Formerly in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Reintroduced to Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia
- Habitat: Rocky and stony plains in desert areas
- Size: Length: 5-5.5 ft (1.5-1.6 m); height at shoulder: 32-41 in (81-104 cm). Weight: 140-155 lb (65-70 kg)
- Form: A white antelope with black legs, each with a white band above the hoof. Horns (in both sexes) are straight, about 24 in (60 cm) long
- Diet: Grasses and desert shrubs, from which they also get most of the water they need (although they may sometimes travel to a water hole)
- Breeding: Births can occur in any month after 8-month gestation. The single calf stays with its mother for 4-5 months. Females are mature at about 3 years. Life span can be over 20 years
Rescue Remedy
Fortunately, several Arab countries had already made efforts to keep and breed the oryx in captivity. In 1962 international cooperation between zoos made it possible to assemble a few animals in Phoenix, Arizona (where the climate is very similar to that of the native home of the Arabian oryx), from which to breed animals specifically for release back into the wild. This was the first such international project for any endangered or extinct species, and it has been highly successful. Oryx were released in Oman in 1982, Jordan in 1983, and Saudi Arabia in 1990. There are now over 500 oryx living wild in those three areas, and many more in zoos (such as that in Los Angeles) and in large natural enclosures, including one near Eilat in Israel.
Breeding large numbers of oryx from just a few individuals has inevitably led to genetic problems. Some of the more successful breeding males fathered a disproportionate number of the captive population in the early days. As a result of inbreeding, survival rates were low; this problem has been recognized, and careful management of future breeding should ensure that it is overcome with time. Oryx are now protected and have been adopted as an important symbol of the local culture in the countries to which they have been restored. It is unlikely that the species will die out a second time through carelessness, but the herds remain small, widely scattered, and vulnerable to natural disasters such as disease and drought. Arabian onyx are the palest species of oryx and are superbly adapted to life in the desert. Like other species of oryx, they are characterized by their long, upright horns. They have dark patches on their faces, legs, and at the lower end of the tail.
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