Scimitar-Horned oryx

(Oryx dammah)

An elegant and graceful antelope, the scimitar-horned oryx was supremely adapted to life in the Sahara and Sahel of north Africa. Numerous physiological adaptions allow them to go for weeks possibly even months, without drinking, Although the scimitar-horned oryx is now extinct in the wild, successful reintroduction programs have begun in both Chad and Tunisia.

Gestation period:

243 – 274 days

Threats to species:

In the past, human disturbance, over-hunting, drought and loss of food because of excessive livestock grazing has pushed the Scimitar-horned Oryx towards extinction.

Conservation Today for Wildlife Tomorrow