World_of_Animals_Issue_46_2017

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Conserving the scimitar-horned oryx “In order to provide the best individuals for reintroduction to the wild, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi worked to assemble a ‘world herd’.” This involved cooperation with organisations across the world to select the best possible oryx in captivity to make a genetically diverse herd to release into the reserve. There are some animals that need special treatment to prepare them for life in the wild, but the scimitar-horned oryx is a hardy beast and its resourceful nature means it needs little coaxing to begin a new life out on the plains. “There has been a relatively long history of transporting scimitar-horned oryx from lush European pastures to thorny North African steppes in Tunisia and Morocco, starting in 1985,” Wacher says. “These exercises showed that even naïve and inexperienced young animals, born in a meadow in the UK, nevertheless undertook a pragmatic and sensible approach to strange potential food plants, some poisonous, many very thorny. They proved very good at identifying the palatable grasses that are typical food of all oryx species.” So the oryx make a great candidate for these types of schemes. Wacher goes on to take us through the release process. “The main way individuals are prepared for their release is through a protected ‘pre-release’ stage at the release location. Animals are given time to acclimatise in a large pen at the release site, where they learn to orientate themselves to the new surroundings and gain a sense of place. For ungulates, it is also an important period to transition gradually from their captive diet to the new natural diet through slow reduction of artificial feed. Food and water is available at the release site if the animals want to take it. “Watching the oryx leave the pre-release pen is always a happy experience,” reflects Wacher on the moment the oryx leave their travelling crates and venture into the reserve. “The reaction of the oryx themselves varies immensely depending on the individual. One group, released in the wet season, took a whole day to decide to approach the open gate, and another before they decided to step through it. They then travelled off and none came close to the release site for six months.” Wacher also tells us of another group that was released in the cooler dry season. These oryx ventured through the gate within ten minutes and went off on a nine-kilometre (5.6- mile) trip! They returned later in the day to take advantage of the plentiful food and drink left out for them. “This group will move off with the first rains,” anticipates Wacher. To ensure that the oryx are doing well, each animal is kitted out with a tracking collar that collects GPS data. This allows scientists to track the oryx’s movements as well as look at their behaviour. The tracking data has revealed that, six months into the project, the oryx are doing well. “The first four calves have been born!” Wacher says, “And movement patterns and social groups are beginning to break out from the combinations in which they were released, with patterns typical of other oryx species emerging.” This is a great sign that the oryx are settling into their ancestral home. So, what’s next for this species? Wacher tells us of the plan for the oryx’s future. “The goal is to build up a population of at least 500 oryx in the reserve through a combination of reintroduction plus on-site breeding over the next five years.” If you want to see the majestic scimitarhorned oryx with your own eyes, there’s an amazing herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo and some members of this group have been selected for the world herd. If you would like to learn more, visit the ZSL or Abu Dhabi Environment Agency websites at www.ZSL.org and www.ead.ae. “One group took a whole day to leave their crates, while another took just ten minutes” Oryx in numbers 4 37 1.2 metres Their horns can reach up to 1.2m (3.9ft) in length – that’s over 50 per cent of their body length! 8.5 14 1000s 46.6 calves WILD Before their MONTHS WEEKS Four oryx calves have now been born to reintroduced mothers in the reserve – great news for the herd. There are currently 37 wild-ranging individuals in the reserve, with more joining soon. The approximate number of months a female oryx is pregnant before giving birth to a calf. The number of weeks a calf spends with its mother before becoming independent. extinction in the wild, oryx would gather into huge herds numbering in the thousands to prepare for their migration. Degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit) that an oryx can raise its body temperature to. © ZSL The oryx are released from their crates, getting their first taste of the Chad sunshine at the reserve 62
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