Scimitar-horned oryx

nanoboy

nanoboy

Well-Known Member
I was at Werribee Zoo (just outside Melbourne in Australia) the other day, and the safari guide made an interesting comment about the scimitar-horned oryx.

This oryx, as you know, is classed as being 'Extinct in the Wild', but the guide mentioned that some years ago (?) a few (about 50?) were released into the wilds of the Sahara (Chad?), and soon after, poachers flew in with helicopters and killed all 50.

Does anyone have any more information about this story? Maybe even a weblink?

Cheers.
 
Sounds like an excuse to me, trying to blame someone else for the loss of 50 reintroduced animals.
 
scimitar-horned oryx have been reintroduced to the "wild" (fenced national parks and reserves) in Tunisia, Morocco and Senegal, but not to Chad as far as I can tell (Chad was where the last truly wild ones were found though). The story does sound familiar but I can't dig the facts from out of my brain and googling didn't show anything. I have an inkling it might refer to Arabian oryx rather than scimitar-horned oryx but its just a vague hunch.
 
Chlidonias said:
scimitar-horned oryx have been reintroduced to the "wild" (fenced national parks and reserves) in Tunisia, Morocco and Senegal, but not to Chad as far as I can tell (Chad was where the last truly wild ones were found though). The story does sound familiar but I can't dig the facts from out of my brain and googling didn't show anything. I have an inkling it might refer to Arabian oryx rather than scimitar-horned oryx but its just a vague hunch.
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It is not 50 and it ain't scimitar horned oryx. It referred to poaching incidences / onslaught in Oman with Arabian oryx.

The above just tells you exactly how important a little background and knowledge would works wonders for making such bold statements. To place Chad and Oman together is next to .... (I cannot print that word here). ;)
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
It is not 50 and it ain't scimitar horned oryx. It referred to poaching incidences / onslaught in Oman with Arabian oryx.

The above just tells you exactly how important a little background and knowledge would works wonders for making such bold statements. To place Chad and Oman together is next to .... (I cannot print that word here). ;)
Click to expand...

Agreed, but it is a useful tale for two reasons. It goes without saying that it shows the importance of zoo educators (whether keepers, volunteers/docents or full time education staff) getting the story right, but is also a useful reminder that just putting animals back into the wild is in itself not the end of the tale, but just a step on the way back.

Too many people seem to think that once an animal's population is brought up to a certain level that the job has been done. I call it the Heath Hen Syndrome.
 
Cheers guys. So the real story was that Arabian Oryx were re-introduced in the wilds of Oman, but were promptly hunted to local extinction again. Thanks.
 
The Arabian Oryx is now listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and is the only species to have moved through 4 listings on the Red List - EW, CR, E, V.
 
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