Conservation Snapshots

Arabian Oryx

(Oryx leucoryx)

©Dick George 2006

The Arabian oryx were considered extinct in the wild in 1972 due to poaching and habitat loss. Starting in 1963 with only seven animals, the AZA-accredited Phoenix Zoo led efforts to breed the Arabian oryx and reintroduce the population to the wild. The Los Angeles Zoo, also an AZA-accredited member, joined in this effort in 1967, starting with just three Arabian oryx.

The Zoological Society of San Diego led the efforts to bring animals from the United States to Oman for the first reintroduction and have made a great contribution in terms of breeding, research and field work.

Now there are more than 4,500 Arabian oryx in zoos and wildlife preserves across the globe, many of which can be traced back to the Phoenix and Los Angeles Zoos' original ten.

More than 1,000 Arabian oryx have been reintroduced in the Middle East home range following international conservation standards. Thanks to the cooperative efforts of zoo and wildlife preserve conservationists, Arabian oryx are now repopulating part of their original range in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, U.A.E., Bahrain, Qatar, Israel, and Oman.

Biological Information

Size	3-5 feet tall at the shoulder, 4.5-7.5 feet long, weighing 220-460 lbs
Color	White with black markings on face and legs. Long straight horns.
Habitat:	Gravel plains and fringes of the desert.
Diet:	Primarily grasses and fruits. Can live for weeks without water.
Breeding:	Females breed at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years old and have a gestation period of 240 days.

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Conservation Snapshots

Arabian Oryx

Biological Information