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ARABIAN ORYX

ARABIAN ORYX. An endangered species native to the deserts of the Arabian peninsula Estimated number left in the wild: 1,100 Estimated number in captivity: 6,000-7,000. Physical characteristics. Arabian oryx are large land mammals. They are sometimes called “white antelope”.

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ARABIAN ORYX

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  1. ARABIAN ORYX An endangered species native to the deserts of the Arabian peninsula Estimated number left in the wild: 1,100 Estimated number in captivity: 6,000-7,000

  2. Physical characteristics • Arabian oryx are large land mammals. • They are sometimes called “white antelope”. • They have white fur covering their bodies. • Their heads often have black or brown patches and their legs are brown. • Both males and females have large, curved horns.

  3. Physical characteristics, continued • They weigh 80-100 kg (175-220 lbs) and stand 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) high. • They can live up to 20 years. • They sleep during the heat of the day and come out at night.

  4. Physical characteristics, continued • Some say the legend of the unicorn may have come from the Arabian oryx because when it is viewed from the side, its two horns can look like one.

  5. Habitat • The Arabian Oryx is a creature of the desert.

  6. Geographic territory • It once roamed wild in the deserts of the Gulf region.

  7. Geographic territory, continued • Now it exists mostly in zoos and wildlife preserves. • A few animals have been released back into the wild in Jordan and Oman.

  8. Diet • Grasses and desert plants form most of the oryx’s diet. • It can go for several weeks without water!

  9. Conservation efforts • The Arabian Oryx actually went EXTINCT in the wild in the late 1960s. • People had been hunting the oryx from their cars, in big groups, with high-powered rifles. • There were only a few animals left in private collections, mostly owned by Arabian royalty. BANG!!

  10. Conservation efforts, continued • In 1968, the leader of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed, started a breeding program for the oryx at the Al Ain Zoo.

  11. Conservation efforts, continued • A few animals from several private collections were also sent to the Phoenix Zoo. • The Zoo had great success in breeding the animals. • The London Zoo and the San Diego Zoo also helped.

  12. Conservation efforts, continued • Today, there are about 1,100 in the wild and 7,000 in captivity. • The largest population, more than 4,500, is in located in the United Arab Emirates.

  13. Future prospects • Royal figures of several Gulf nations have taken an interest in the Arabian oryx. • Oman set aside land for a special Arabian oryx sanctuary in 1982. • However, in 2007, the Oman sanctuary became the first ever site to be deleted from UNESCO’s World Heritage list because the size of the sanctuary was reduced by 90% to allow for petrol prospecting.

  14. Conclusion • Through international cooperation, the Arabian Oryx has been saved from extinction, but continued efforts are needed to help it survive in the wild.

  15. References Sources: • AbuDhabi.ae • http://www.abudhabi.ae/egovPoolPortal_WAR/appmanager/ADeGP/Citizen?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=p_citizen_homepage_hidenav&did=152020&lang=en • SanDiegoZoo.org • http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-oryx.html • UNESCO • http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/362 • Wikipedia • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabian_oryx • Youtube • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siKPSHm9JxU

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