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The Arabian oryx is a medium-sized antelope native to the Arabian Peninsula, characterized by its distinctive long, straight horns and light-colored coat. It matters because it nearly went extinct in the wild but became the first species to recover from extinction through international conservation efforts, making it a symbol of successful wildlife restoration.
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The Arabian oryx or white oryx (Oryx leucoryx) is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of the genus Oryx, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but was saved in zoos and private reserves, and was reintroduced into the wild starting in 1980.
In 1986, the Arabian oryx was classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and in 2011, it was the first animal to revert to vulnerable status after previously being listed as extinct in the wild. It is listed in CITES Appendix I. In 2016, populations were estimated at 1,220 individuals in the wild, including 850 mature individuals, and 6,000–7,000 in captivity worldwide.
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Desert faunaFauna listed on CITES Appendix IIUCN Red List vulnerable speciesMammals described in 1777Mammals of the Arabian PeninsulaMammals of the Middle EastNational symbols of BahrainNational symbols of JordanNational symbols of OmanNational symbols of QatarNational symbols of the United Arab EmiratesOryx