Arabian oryx

Oryx leucoryx

Mammalia · Artiodactyla · Bovidae

Fig. 1. Arabian oryx

Fig. 2. Range

Length or height	Shoulder height about 1 m
Weight	About 70 kg
Food	Grasses and desert plants
Lifespan	About 20 years
Society	Herds
Habitat	desert
Range	Asia
Wild or tame	Wild

Extinct in the wild by 1972, then saved by zoo breeding ("Operation Oryx") and returned to Oman, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Observe: Look for the long straight horns.

Modern data

Status today

VUVulnerable status to verify

Conservation	Vulnerable, down from extinct in the wild: a zoo conservation success.
Keeper's note	Daily checks of appetite, movement and behavior; enrichment that changes from day to day.
Kingdom · phylum	Animalia · Chordata
Genus	Oryx

Check the record: IUCN Red List · GBIF · ITIS

See it elsewhere in the museum

For classes

Lessons: The Mammal Hall: Weigh the cost of warmthPreviewThe Domesticated Animal: Map it, time itPreviewEcosystems: Two Ways to Hold a HabitatPreview

Drawer: Zoo: Desert

Quiz: Desert quiz · 5 questions