The Biology, Husbandry and Conservation Scimitar-horned Oryx ...

9
Reproduction & Breeding Management
SIMON WAKEFIELD & JUERGEN ENGEL
25
Part 2: Husbandry Guidelines
Scimitar-horned oryx breed well in captivity. Although there are no records on the longevity
of free-ranging scimitar-horned oryx, they will live for 18-20 years in captivity (Spinage,
1986; Jones, 1993).
For breeding programmes attention should be focused on attaining the required calf
production to meet the needs of the captive breeding programme. Without any form of birth
regulation, a female oryx could easily produce a calf every year. In the past this has lead to a
policy of temporarily ‘freezing’ breeding in some EEP zoos to prevent an unmanageable
surplus of animals. This approach has the advantage of controlling the number of offspring
per annum, and obtaining offspring from under-represented founder lineages. However, some
zoos are unwilling to implement such a strategy due to the public appeal of young animals.
Another important consideration in the captive breeding of oryx is the climatic zone of the
collection keeping the species. Where animals may spend prolonged periods inside due to
unfavourable weather conditions, such as winter in the northern regions, it is best to avoid
calves being born at this time. Under these conditions, mother-calf contact in indoor stalls is
abnormally high compared to natural conditions, or during the summer, when a new-born calf
may be left alone for periods while the mother is feeding nearby. As a result, calves tend to
over-feed, and this has resulted in high calf mortality due to digestive ailments such as E. coli
infections.
Where winter calves are likely to suffer, it is better to regulate the breeding season by only
introducing the breeding male at the appropriate time. For example, in Northern Europe,
putting the male into the group in late summer or early autumn will result in calves being born
in late Spring, at a time when the herd should have free access to a sufficiently large outdoor
enclosure or paddock. This will ensure that mother-calf contact is more normally distributed
through the daily activity cycle. The breeding male should then be removed again in the
Spring just before the first calves are expected, to avoid pregnancies arising from mating
during post-partum oestrus.
If the herd is kept in a smaller yard over the winter for paddock protection or parasite control,
it is better to release the breeding male into the group while it still has access to a larger
summer paddock. This is because during the first few days after the introduction of the male
there will be frequent bouts of chasing behaviour as the group settles down to accept the new
social structure. It should also be noted that during the period of removal from the group, the
male should have an adequate enclosure.
Typically, it is easier to tag and give a veterinary check to a calf within the first few days of
birth. One system that can be employed is to isolate mothers from the rest of the herd a few
days before the expected birth and to keep mother and calf together for a few days before
releasing them back into the group. A sudden swelling of the udder with milk indicates an