By Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
The scimitar-horned oryx has been tied to humanity for thousands of years. Once roaming across North Africa, it appeared in ancient Egyptian art and supplied food, tools and legend. Its tan-and-white coat mirrored the Saharan sands, while its long, curved horns resembled the scimitar sword for which it’s named.
By the 20th century, however, this once-abundant antelope faced extinction. Competition with livestock, trophy hunting and conflict across its native range drove numbers down. By 1985, only about 500 remained in the wild. By 2000, the scimitar-horned oryx was officially declared extinct in the wild.
The rise of oryx conservation breeding
By the time conservationists began working with the scimitar-horned oryx, captive breeding wasn’t new. Zoos had been refining methods since the 1960s, but preparing animals for release into the wild requires far more than pairing males and females. Genetics, behavior and human interaction all determine whether offspring can one day survive outside a controlled environment.
The Arabian oryx, a close relative, had already shown the world that “extinct in the wild” didn’t have to be permanent. Inspired by that success, Sahara Conservation, the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi and the government of Chad launched a coordinated international program in 2008 to bring the scimitar-horned oryx back.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas, was a natural partner. Known for its work with Saharan species, Fossil Rim joined the effort to help breed healthy oryx for eventual release in Chad.
Conservation breeding is a global puzzle. Zoos, private ranches, nongovernmental organizations and governments each play a role from animal care to research, funding and logistics. Fossil Rim contributes across multiple fronts, raising strong, genetically diverse scimitar-horned oryx with the goal of one day returning them to Africa.
How Fossil Rim brought oryx to the wild
At Fossil Rim, researchers tested GPS collars on antelope before using them in the Sahara, saving time and minimizing stress on wild oryx. But eventually, the animals themselves had to make the journey.
Transporting endangered wildlife internationally is complex and risky. Each animal must be crated, monitored and moved across thousands of miles. Fossil Rim has sent 18 scimitar-horned oryx on this 10,000-mile journey. First, they went to Abu Dhabi and then to prerelease pens in Chad’s Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve — a landscape of 30,000 square miles and once a native home to the species.
There, timing is everything. The oryx remain in holding pens until seasonal rains arrive, then follow the water into their range.
Why reintroducing oryx was successful
Reintroduction isn’t only about animals. It’s about people. Many communities in Chad had never seen a scimitar-horned oryx before, and without education and support, the project couldn’t succeed.
In 2012, Sahara Conservation and its partners held a three-day meeting with government leaders, tribes and pastoral groups to explain the program. Teams also visited nomadic camps with photos and information, ensuring local leaders felt invested in protecting the scimitar-horned oryx for the long term.
Reflecting on the project, Dr. Julie Swenson, associate veterinarian at Fossil Rim, notes that what made it unique wasn’t just the human collaboration but also the rare fortune of intact habitat. Many vulnerable species lack this advantage — their homelands are too degraded or urbanized to sustain them. In this way, land conservation and wildlife conservation are inseparable.
The scimitar-horned oryx had the rare fortune of both a preserved homeland and dedicated global partners. Today, hundreds of scimitar-horned oryx roam free once more, thanks to years of planning, research and collaboration.
At Fossil Rim, every calf born represents hope — not just for oryx, but for conservation itself. Their story proves that with commitment, cooperation and vision, even species lost to the wild can return home.
Watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild’s episode, “Extinct in the Wild,” to see Fossil Rim’s work with oryx in action.
For another amazing story of conservation success at Fossil Rim, check out Protecting the Wild Season 1 episode, “Protecting the Prairie Chicken,” all about the Attwater’s prairie chicken.
