Rare ‘Extinct in the Wild’ Oryx born at Marwell Zoo
A rare scimitar-horned oryx, which are declared extinct in the wild, has been born at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire, England. The now one month old calf, called Freya, is thriving. She shares a paddock with her parents, Christina and Tenzi, along with other African species – white rhinos, Grevy’s zebra and ostrich.
The species is now reliant on captive breeding and reintroduction efforts for its continued survival back into the wild. Marwell Zoo manages the International Studbook for scimitar-horned oryx and is instrumental in creating conservation strategies.
“The scimitar-horned oryx was one of the first species we brought to Marwell Zoo in November 1971. Since, we’ve had 378 births here, making the species one of our biggest success stories in terms of breeding and conservation success. We have reintroduced groups of oryx into protected areas in Tunisia to re-establish them in their natural habitat and we continue to research the re-established populations and work to enhance the biodiversity of the protected areas where they live.” Said Conservation Biologist Dr Tania Gilbert.
Reintroductions in Tunisia started in 1985 with 10 scimitar-horned oryx from Marwell and Edinburgh Zoos, coordinated by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Today there are nearly 300 oryx living in five protected areas.
The scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) were once abundant across North Africa. They were declared ‘extinct in the wild’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2000. Their decline began as a result of climate change during the Neolithic period and were later hunted extensively for their horns. They were domesticated in Ancient Egypt and are believed to have been used as food and sacrificed as offerings to gods. The use of their valuable hides began in the Middle Ages. It is thought that the unicorn myth may have originated from sightings of a scimitar oryx with a broken horn.
Find out more about Freya and how Marwell Zoo is working with The Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi, and the Government of Chad in a ground breaking initiative to re-establish a free-ranging population of oryx within the species’ historical range at www.marwell.org.uk
Main photograph ©Marwell Zoo