Oryx dammah

(Cretzschmar, 1827)

Vernacular names
English : Scimitar-horned oryx
French : Oryx algazelle

Classification
Class : Mammalia
Order : Cetartiodactyla
Family : Bovidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Body length of 200 cm, shoulder height of 130 cm, weight of 200 kg. Very long pointed and slightly curved ridged horns. Body coloration mostly white except for breast and neck being rich rufous-brown. Legs are dirty white, face is white with brown spot under eyes. Unmistakable species both by horn length and coloration.

Range and habitat
The species used to live in the subdesert areas north and south of the Sahara, from Morocco to Egypt and from Senegal to Sudan. It was extinct in the wild and has now been reintroduced in a protected area in Chad. It is found mostly in sub-deserts, arid steppes and occasionally arid bushland and annual grasslands.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : ENDANGERED
CITES : Not listed
Status : This species used to be extinct in the wild and has been reintroduced in Chad in 2016 thanks to very successful captive breeding programs. More than 500 specimens have been reintroduced between 2016 and 2022 and the species is now believed to be safe and its populations are self sufficient and increasing, giving hope for a better future.
Ex-Situ Programs : SSP in America, EEP in Europe

Observation

 

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