Scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah).
Image: Faouz Kilani, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Increasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2023 global assessment of Oryx dammah says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The scimitar-horned oryx is a desert antelope with long, curved horns that was once declared Extinct in the Wild. It is now assessed as Endangered following reintroduction.
It is superbly adapted to heat and can go long periods without water.
Range & habitat
The Sahel region of North Africa; reintroduced to Chad after being lost in the wild.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Past overhunting
- Drought and habitat loss
- Small reintroduced population
Why it matters
Brought back from Extinct in the Wild through captive breeding and reintroduction, the scimitar-horned oryx is a landmark example of a species being returned to its desert home.
Formerly Extinct in the Wild; reassessed Endangered in 2023 following reintroduction in Chad.
Gallery
Scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah).
Image: Chrumps, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Scimitar-horned Oryx
- IUCN Red List — look up Scimitar-horned Oryx (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web