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| "Christmas Chaos": junk collage & ink. |
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Arabian oryx: Back from the brink
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| Arabian oryx are seen at the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Um al-Zamool, near the United Arab Emirates' border with Saudi Arabia |
Oryxes are probably the closest thing to a real-life unicorn. (Their name makes a super-killer Scrabble play, too.) The Arabian oryx, with its glossy white coat that keeps things cool in the desert heat, is especially magical. The antelope species once roamed from Egypt to Yemen, but in the 1970s, it was classified as extinct in the wild due to overhunting.
Two Arabian oryx lock horns in al-Wusta Wildlife Reserve for Environmental Conservation in Haima, Oman in 2021. The Arabian oryxes’ horns – meant to serve as a defense mechanism – in fact made them a target, as hunters in the 20th century believed that they possessed magical powers.
This kickstarted conservation efforts, which involved breeding the species in captivity and reintroducing it into the wild.
Today, the species still faces some threats from illegal hunting, overgrazing and droughts, but its impressive comeback led the IUCN to upgrading its status from endangered to vulnerable in 2011. Its range now covers Israel, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Here, Arabian oryx are pictured near the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2021.
Today, there are an estimated 1,220 Arabian oryxes in the wild and 6,000 to 7,000 in captivity.
In 1962, when fewer than 500 Arabian oryxes remained in the wild, conservationists founded “Operation Oryx” to save the animals from extinction. Teams, sent into the desert of what is now South Yemen, captured three oryx and took them to Phoenix Zoo in the United States for the first stage of a captive breeding program. Here, a baby Arabian oryx is seen at Zoo Miami in Miami, Florida.
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| Arabian oryxes are herbivores, eating desert grasses and shrubs. Attuned to their environment, they can detect rainfall and plant growth from up to 56 miles (90 km) away – often wandering long distances in search of pasture. But, according to the IUCN, their mobility can also leave them vulnerable, as they wander outside protected areas. Here, an Arabian oryx takes refuge in the shade of a tree in a conservation area in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2023 |
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| In attempt to restore the Arabian oryx to its historic range, reintroductions in Iraq, Kuwait and Syriahave been proposed. Conservationists are monitoring the captive populations in these countries with the hope of establishing stable herds there in the future |
Just a reminder: there is always, always hope!
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| Painted Bunting |
Monday's Smiles ...
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| by Edward Corey |
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| by Fiona Watson |
2 comments:
Love, loved it again today. How do you do it, Jacki? Nice graphic, interesting story about the oryx.(I'll show it to the grands.) and of course the angel would have taken me two days and not been half as good. Thank you again for starting a busy day in a bright way.
Jacki, Carrol Wolf's comment tells everything I'm thinking but can't express. in English. There is only one tiny difference. I'm enjoying your blog in the evening after a busy day.
The last smile is so wise and worth saving and remembering every day.
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