Scimitar-horned Oryx
Oryx dammah
Scimitar-horned Oryx are almost entirely white with reddish-brown on their necks, face and tail. Their white coat reflects heat and their and black skin protects against sunburn. Both male and females have long, sharp, curved horns which give this species its name.
Scimitar-horned oryx feed on grasses, herds, buds, and roots from which they are also able to extract enough moisture and rarely have to drink.
Conservation
Extinct in the wild since the mid 1990s, fortunately large numbers of captive animals exist and the species has since been released into fenced protected areas, and now an ambitious project to reintroduce Scimitar-horned Oryx to the wild in Chad is underway.
- Height
- 1.2-1.4 m
- Length
- 1.6-2 m
- Weight
- 150-180 kg
- Calf
- 1
- Range
- Sahel and sub-desert zones of west and central Africa.
- Conservation status
- Extinct in the wild
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