Spring 2010 - European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

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16 Tim Woodfine, marWell Wildlife endangered species Return of the native Two years in, The scimiTar-horned oryx reinTroducTion programme has bedded in very well. could This be The salvaTion of The species? Tania Gilbert, scimitar-horned oryx EEP Coordinator and International Studbook Keeper, Marwell Wildlife, UK At some point in the late 1980s or early 1990s a magnificent desert antelope with gently curving horns quietly slipped into extinction in the wild, and yet today it can be seen in its natural habitat in four National Parks and Reserves in Tunisia. This contradiction is not due to poor information but rather the result of efforts to re-establish the scimitarhorned oryx in its former range. The latest project to reintroduce the species took place in December 2007 when nine oryx donated by the European EEP (Fota Wildlife Park and Le Pal) and the North American SSP (The Wilds, Kansas City Zoo, National Zoological Park Conservation Research Center, Bamberger Ranch and Fossil Rim) programmes were released into Dghoumes National Park (NP) close to Tozeur in Tunisia. Dghoumes NP is an 8000ha fenced protected area on the edge of a large salt pan, the Chott el Jerid. The park contains three main habitat types; steppe grassland, mountains and part of the Chott itself. The EEP & SSP animals joined a group of seven oryx that had been transferred from Bou Hedma NP Tunisia earlier in the year making a total founding population of 16 animals. All of the oryx underwent a quarantine and adaptation phase in specially constructed enclosures within the park, before being released into the park proper. The EEP & SSP oryx quickly adapted, locating water, shade and food resources and soon joined the Bou Hedma oryx, forming one large herd. The plentiful food and water supply has resulted in a high birth rate and low mortality rate and the oryx population has grown to 32 within two years of being released. The oryx have now split into a few social groups and utilise a large part of the park including the mountain range. Postrelease monitoring continues to take place, and future plans include further genetic augmentation of the population, development of resources within an existing eco-museum in the park and wider engagement within the local community. Whilst it is gratifying to see the oryx back in its former range, albeit in fenced protected areas, this has been a long process involving a myriad of dedicated organisations. The efforts to reintroduce scimitar-horned oryx to Tunisia began over 30 years ago when the Tunisian Direction Générales des Forêts (DGF) initiated discussions with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and La Fondation Internationale pour la Sauvengarde du Gibier in Paris on the possibility of reintroducing a group of scimitar-horned oryx from the UK to Bou Hedma NP in central Tunisia. In 1985 this plan was put into action when 10 oryx donated by Marwell Preservation Trust and Edinburgh Zoo, were released into a Total Protection Zone at the centre of the park. The oryx adapted well to local conditions and the population increased in size to around 130 animals. A further reintroduction project was carried out in 1999 when 14 oryx donated by six EEP institutions (Paris Zoo, Zoo La Palmyre, Bratislava Zoo, Leipzig Zoo, Dvur Kralove and Le Cornelle) were released into Sidi Toui NP and Oued Dekouk Nature Reserve, Tunisia. This release was coordinated by Marwell Preservation Trust and Bratislava Zoo. A number of policy and planning developments have taken place in the intervening period between the 1999 and 2007 reintroductions. The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) published their Concerted Action Plan for Sahelo-Saharan
Antelope, and the DGF updated the National Strategy for the Conservation of Sahelo-Saharan Antelope in Tunisia. At the same time a metapopulation management plan for the species was developed with assistance from EEP and SSP representatives. The last reintroduction of EEP and SSP oryx to Dghoumes NP was in accordance with all three plans. Whilst there is an undoubted economic, cultural and intrinsic value to reintroducing the scimitarhorned oryx to its former range, such reintroductions also have an impact on local biodiversity. Historically, the land covering the four parks and reserves has been intensively overgrazed by domestic livestock. A programme of fencing and habitat restoration by the DGF in preparation for the reintroduction of Sahelo-Saharan antelope and gazelle, has seen the re-establishment of native flora and with it insect, bird and small mammal diversity. Today the stunning landscape of Dghoumes National Park, with its mountain range and steppe grassland overlooking the Chott el Jerid, now contains reintroduced populations of scimitar-horned oryx, dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas), Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia), wild boar (Sus scrofa) as well as several species of naturally occurring small mammals, carnivores and over 50 species of resident and migratory birds. The oryx reintroduction to Dghoumes NP was carried in association with the reintroduction of addax to Djebil NP and coordinated jointly between the scimitarhorned oryx and addax EEPs and SSPs represented by Marwell Wildlife, Zoo Hannover, St Louis Zoo, San Diego Zoo and the Living Desert. Over 50 institutions and organisations throughout Europe, North America and Tunisia supported the reintroduction of scimitar-horned oryx to Dghoumes NP, and it is not possible to list them all here. However, I would like to emphasise the valued and generous Find out more left to right: mixed sex and age herd of eeP, ssP and Bou hedma oryx in dghoumes nP running ToWard The ChoTT el Jerid, oCToBer 2009; a male from ‘The Wilds’ in The usa Being released from his CraTe inTo The aCClimaTisaTion and quaranTine Pens, deCemBer 2007; oryx in dghoumes nP inCluding The firsT TWo seCond generaTion Calves (grandkids of The founders) Born in The Park, oCToBer 2009. support given by scimitar-horned oryx EEP participants; in particular Fota Wildlife Park and Le Pal Parc Animalier et D’Attractions for donating oryx, their crates and the cost of their transport to the project; Dublin Zoo, Artis Royal Zoo Amsterdam, Chester Zoo, Lisbon Zoo, Longleat Safari Park and Marwell Wildlife for their financial support of the oryx project. The joint project was initiated by the DGF and supported by the Sahara Conservation Fund, WAZA and CMS. if you would like further information on the reintroduction of scimitarhorned oryx to dghoumes np, or would like to support the continuing work for the species, please contact Tania gilbert at taniag@marwell.org.uk. if you would like further information on historical oryx reintroduction projects, please visit http:// www.marwell.org.uk/conservation and click on the resources tab to download ‘The biology, husbandry and conservation of scimitar-horned oryx’. 17
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Spring 2010 - European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

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