Scimitar-horned oryx is a culturally and ecologically significant species across North Africa and Arabia. This desert antelope was driven to extinction in the 1980s by hunting and competition with domestic livestock. Now, an initiative led by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi and the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Pêche et du Développement Durable of Chad, and implemented on the ground by SaharaConservation, has reintroduced more than 240 animals from captivity into their native range. Technical support for the reintroduction is provided by the National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, the Zoological Society of London, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Saint Louis Zoo, and other key partners.
Height: 1.4m tall at the shoulder (4.6ft)
Weight: 100-210kg (220-460 lbs)
Scimitar-horned oryx can tolerate an internal body temperature of 47 C (116 F) and can go long periods (months) without drinking water.
Conservation Status: Extinct in the Wild
The scimitar-horned oryx has existed only in captivity for the past 30 years. Driven to extinction by over-hunting and scarce resources, the species was bred in captivity for decades and closely monitored to promote genetic diversity and health. In 2012, an international partnership led by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Pêche et du Développement Durable of Chad, and SaharaConservation, with technical support from the Zoological Society of London, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, the St. Louis Zoo, and other key partners, began working to reintroduce this species into its former range.
Oryx being released to the Reserve de Faune du Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim in Chad.
In August 2016, 21 individuals were reintroduced into a large (~78,000 km²) protected area in central Chad, the Reserve de Faune du Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim. To date, more than 240 oryx have been released into the Reserve.
Female oryx with wild-born calf.
Reintroduced oryx are both directly monitored by a team in the Reserve and tracked using GPS collars. Nearly every adult reintroduced to the reserve is fitted with a GPS/satellite collar to monitor their seasonal movement patterns, social dynamics, and resource utilization. Collars remain on animals for approximately two years and include a “drop off” feature that allows remote removal from any animal at any time.
Reintroduced oryx with GPS collars to monitor their movement and behavior post-release.
As with any tracking technology, this approach has a few limitations. GPS collars cannot be fit on oryx younger than 18 months old, because their necks grow too fast to safely wear a collar. In addition, to keep collars light enough to avoid potential health impacts, they only contain batteries that will last 2-3 years. Movement of Life scientists are working with GPS tracking manufacturers to develop a solar-powered, horn-mounted GPS tag that could be fit on an oryx as young as one year old, and function for 4-5 years. This tag would be minimally invasive, expand the monitoring window for each individual, and lead to a greater understanding of the basic needs and habits of this species, as well as inform management practices during future releases.
Trialing low-impact GPS tracking devices on captive oryx at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
This large, international, collaborative conservation initiative offers a ray of hope for the future of this species in its historic range. We look forward to learning more about scimitar-horned oryx movement behavior, habitat selection, and social dynamics, and to working with partners on the ground to make a lasting conservation impact.
Wild-born oryx calves.
Center Head, Conservation Biologist
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) Conservation Ecology Center National Zoological Park
Conservation Biologist
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) Conservation Ecology Center
Conservation Biologist
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) Conservation Ecology Center
Ecologist, MoL Program Coordinator
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) Conservation Ecology Center National Zoological Park
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