Scimitar-horned oryx are among the best-known antelopes in Africa. As far back as ancient Egypt, these antelopes with their long, curved horns were kept in a semi-domesticated state as sacrificial animals.
Until recently, the scimitar-horned oryx was considered ‘extinct in the wild’. The main factor behind this status was hunting. It is therefore not surprising that the largest population of these animals now lives on and is bred on hunting farms.
Thanks to reintroduction projects in Chad, the scimitar-horned oryx have successfully re-established themselves and are breeding. As a result, the population of wild animals is growing slowly but steadily, and a self-sustaining wild population appears to be establishing itself.
Taxonomy
Bovidae, Oryx (6 species)
Behaviour and ecology
diurnal, foraging in areas with fresh vegetation
Social structure
in herds of 10 or more animals; depending on the food supply, they may gather together or spread out
