Scimitar-horned oryx

Oryx dammah

Irish Name: Oracs simeatár adharcach
IUCN Status: Endangered

Scimitar-horned oryx are a species of antelope, they have white/cream coloured hair with reddish-brown necks and a long, dark, tufted tail. They once populated many areas in northern Africa, but only small, reintroduced populations exist today. They have long scimitar-shaped horns, after which they are named.

Scimitar-horned oryx

Oryx dammah

Irish Name: Oracs simeatár adharcach
IUCN Status: Endangered

Scimitar-horned oryx are a species of antelope, they have white/cream coloured hair with reddish-brown necks and a long, dark, tufted tail. They once populated many areas in northern Africa, but only small, reintroduced populations exist today. They have long scimitar-shaped horns, after which they are named.

General Information

Where do they live? (Natural habitat)

Scimitar-horned oryx once lived in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara.

Herds are currently being reintroduced to reserves in Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and Chad. Scimitar-horned oryx populations have been released into four protected areas in Tunisia and one in Senegal as part of reintroduction programmes. A self-sustaining wild population now thrives in Chad, following a successful reintroduction project involving zoos from around the world.

How long do they live?

Scimitar-horned oryx can live up to 20-24 years.

What do they eat?

Oryx are herbivores. They mostly eat grasses and shrubs. Living in some of the drier parts of the world, oryx in the wild need to be constantly on the move to find new grazing grounds. They get most of their water from the plants that they eat.

Group name

Herd

Zoo Location

African Savanna.

Closest related species / sister species

Scimitar-horned oryx are most closely related to the three other species that make up the genus Oryx: the Gemsbok, East African and Arabian oryx.

Animal class

Mammalia

Animal order

Artiodactyla

Fun Facts

Eyes

Scimitar-horned oryx have dark patches around their eyes. This helps to keep the glare from the sun out of their eyes. They also have thick eyelashes and strong eyelids that help protect against windblown sand.

Horns

Scimitar-horned oryx use their horns to have pushing matches between males for mates. To keep them from slipping, they have 'grips' on their horns, closer to their skull. This helps males to compete with each other without running the risk of getting hurt.

Saving water

Scimitar-horned oryx have adaptations for coping with the shortage of water in their hot desert and savanna environments. They get much of the water they need from the plants they eat, but can go for long periods without drinking water. They are also able to raise their body temperature by several degrees, meaning they do not need to sweat as much, which in turn conserves water.

Unicorns

There are many origin stories for unicorns, and the anatomy of the scimitar-horned oryx is one of them. It is said that sightings of scimitar-horned oryx inspired some of the stories of unicorns. This may have been due to sightings of injured one-horned oryxes or the fact that from certain angles, scimitar-horned oryxes can look like they have only one horn.

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Family Life

Scimitar-horned oryx live in large social herds made up of females, their calves and a dominant bull. Historically, herds would migrate long distances searching for fresh grazing areas and water. They breed all year round. The calves are able to get up and follow their mothers within an hour of being born.

Baby name

Calf

Gestation (pregnancy) period

8-9 months

Number of young at birth

One

Weight at birth

Scimitar-horned oryx calves weigh approximately 10kg at birth.

Age at maturity

1.5-2 years

Size adult

They are approximately 1.5 m tall at the shoulder and 1.5 - 2.5 m in length.
They weigh 100 - 210 kg.

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Conservation

Endangered

Today, the scimitar-horned oryx is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. However, the species became extinct in the wild in the early 1990s due to overhunting and habitat loss. The scimitar-horned oryx only survives today thanks to the work of zoos around the world, which have maintained a genetically secure insurance population, which has since been used for reintroduction efforts.

Current population estimate

Thanks to a successful reintroduction programme involving zoos from all around the world, there are now wild populations of scimitar-horned oryx in Chad. There are also small populations in fenced protected areas in Tunisia, Senegal and Morocco.

Threats

Overhunting, habitat loss and competition for grazing land with domestic livestock.

What is Dublin Zoo doing?

Dublin Zoo supports a scimitar-horned oryx reintroduction programme in Tunisia, a country where they were previously found in the wild. We also take part in an international breeding programme for scimitar-horned oryx.

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Oryx Conservation

See what Dublin Zoo is doing to help reintroduce oryx into the wild
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Oryx calf born at Dublin Zoo

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FAQs

  • Where do scimitar-horned oryx live?

    Scimitar-horned oryx once lived in Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara. Herds are currently being reintroduced to parks in Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal, with the hope of releasing them into the wild in the future. A wild population is now thriving in Chad, thanks to reintroduction efforts from zoos.

  • What do scimitar-horned oryx eat?

    Scimitar-horned oryx are herbivores. They mostly eat grasses and shrubs.

  • Are scimitar-horned oryx endangered?

    Scimitar-horned oryx are classified as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

    The species became extinct in the wild in the early 1990s due to overhunting and habitat loss. The scimitar-horned oryx only survives today thanks to the work of zoos around the world, which have maintained a genetically secure insurance population, which has since been used for reintroduction efforts.

  • Why did scimitar-horned oryx become extinct in the wild?

    Scimitar-horned oryx were driven to extinction in the wild due to overhunting, habitat loss and competition for grazing land with domestic livestock.

  • Has the scimitar-horned oryx been reintroduced yet?

    Thanks to a successful reintroduction programme involving zoos from all around the world, there are now wild populations of scimitar-horned oryx in Chad. There are also small populations in fenced protected areas in Tunisia, Senegal and Morocco.

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