FaunaHub
ENEndangeredPartial review

Scimitar-horned Oryx

Oryx dammah

Scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), a pale antelope with long curved horns.

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
Last verified

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

A scimitar-horned oryx showing its long, sweeping horns.

Scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah).

Image: Chrumps, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Scimitar-horned Oryx

Frequently Asked Questions

Was the scimitar-horned oryx really extinct in the wild?
Yes. It was considered Extinct in the Wild for years, surviving only in captivity, before reintroduction programmes returned it to Chad — leading to an improved Red List status.
Why is it still Endangered?
Published assessments cite its history of overhunting, ongoing drought and habitat pressures, and the small size of the reintroduced population. See the IUCN Red List.

Last updated: