Scimitar horned oryx (Oryx dammah)
The
scimitar horned oryx (Oryx dammah) is a large desert antelope that formerly inhabited the
grassland and scrublands on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert in northern
Africa. Due to overhunting, a period of excessive drought, and continued warfare
in the area, the scimitar horned oryx has virtually disappeared from this
region and is listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union
(IUCN). Captive breeding programs have made possible the reintroduction of
a small herd in Tunisia.
The scimitar horned oryx stands 3 1/2 to 4 feet at the shoulder and weighs 395 to 440 lbs. It is white with a bright russet patch over its neck and chest, russet eye strips, and a white nose strip. It has a long tufted tail that is brown on the outer edge. The scimitar horned oryx is so named because of its sickle-shaped horns that measure three to four feet in length. Both males and females have these thin, fragile, virtually ridgeless horns.
North American zoos hold over 350 of these animals, while there are an estimated 1,250 oryx in zoos and parks worldwide. In Texas alone, there are over 2,000 scimitar horned oryx on ranches, making it the second most common antelope in captivity in the world after the blackbuck.
