| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | MAMMALIA | CETARTIODACTYLA | BOVIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Oryx leucoryx | |||||||||
| Species Authority: | (Pallas, 1777) | |||||||||
Common Name/s:
|
||||||||||
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Endangered D ver 3.1 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Year Assessed: | 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Assessor/s | IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group | ||||||||||||||||||
| Evaluator/s: | Mallon, D.P. (Antelope Red List Authority) & Hoffmann, M. (Global Mammal Assessment) | ||||||||||||||||||
|
Justification: Wild populations are restricted to Oman, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Together, these contain more than 250 mature individuals, but well below 1,000 (all other populations are managed and do not qualify as wild). The recently released oryx in UAE are still given supplementary forage and other management measures are taken; they too are currently excluded from the assessment. Numbers in Israel and Saudi Arabia are increasing. Therefore, Arabian Oryx no longer meets the criteria for the Endangered category, and Vulnerable D1 is appropriate. Under IUCN Red List Guidelines, a species should only move to a lower category of threat if none of the criteria for the higher category (here Endangered) have been met for a period of 5 years or more. On the basis of the available data, it is estimated that the criteria for Vulnerable would have applied from 2006, so the transfer should take effect from 2011, provided that the status of the species remains the same or continues to improve. It has been questioned whether the oryx in the fenced Mahazat As Sayd reserve should count as a fully wild population. If these are excluded then the species qualifies for the Endangered (EN) category under criterion D (less than 250 mature individuals). |
|||||||||||||||||||
| History: |
|
||||||||||||||||||
| Range Description: |
Formerly occurred through most of the Arabian Peninsula, north to Kuwait and Iraq. Arabian Oryx range had already contracted by the early years of the 20th century and the decline accelerated thereafter. Before 1920, oryx distribution was separated into areas over 1,000 km apart: a northern population, and a larger southern population in and around the Rub Al Khali and the plains of central-southern Oman. Oryx disappeared from the north in the 1950s. In the south, their range steadily decreased due to hunting and by the 1960s oryx were restricted to parts of central and southern Oman. The last wild individuals were probably shot in 1972 on the Jiddat al Harasis. Currently, there are reintroduced populations in Oman (Arabian Oryx Sanctuary), Saudi Arabia (Mahazat as-Sayd Reserve, 2,900 km² and Uruq Bani Ma’arid Reserve, 5,500 km²); and Israel (3 locations in Northern Arava and Negev Desert). A release programme in Abu Dhabi, UAE, began in 2007. |
| Countries: |
Regionally extinct:
Egypt; Iraq; Jordan; Kuwait; Syrian Arab Republic; United Arab Emirates; Yemen
Reintroduced:
Israel; Oman; Saudi Arabia
Introduced:
Bahrain
|
| Range Map: |
(click map to view full version)
|
| Population: |
Current total population is estimated at approximately 1100: Oman (approximately 50); Saudi Arabia (approximately 950; 800 in Mahazat as Sayd and 160 in Uruq Bani Ma’arid); and Israel (90-100). The population in Oman reached a high point of 450 before illegal live capture began and severely reduced numbers. Now only males remain. In Saudi Arabia, numbers are roughly stable in Uruq Bani Ma’arid, but declining in Mahazat As Sayd, which is completely fenced and where animals have exceeded carrying capacity. There has been a slow, but steady increase in the Israeli population. About 100 animals have been released at Umm Al Zumul, UAE, since 2007. An estimated 6000-7000 animals are held in captivity worldwide, mostly within the region. Some of these are maintained in large fenced enclosures, including those in Syria (Al Talila), Bahrain, Qatar, and UAE. Current population trend is stable/decreasing. |
| Population Trend: |
Decreasing
|
| Habitat and Ecology: | Inhabits sandy and stony deserts. |
| Systems: | Terrestrial |
| Major Threat(s): | The Oman population has been devastated by illegal live capture for sale to private collections and has been rendered totally ineffective. The security of animals that wander outside the other protected areas where they have been released cannot be guaranteed, except perhaps in Israel. Drought and overgrazing have reduced habitat quality in places and limited the choice of potential release further release sites. |
| Conservation Actions: | Protective legislation in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Israel is adequate. Occur in protected areas, as above. Sites in Israel and Bahrain are also protected. Captive population is well-managed, with an international studbook. In addition, large numbers are kept in private collections, especially in UAE and Saudi Arabia. The government of UAE is funding a reintroduction into Jordan and is considering releases in Yemen. A regional Arabian Oryx conservation strategy was developed in 2007. The Coordinating Committee for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx is an inter-governmental body charged with coordination of conservation efforts within the Arabian Peninsula. |
| Citation: | IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group 2008. Oryx leucoryx. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 November 2009. |
| Disclaimer: | To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>. |
| Feedback: | If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided |
