Scimitar Oryx by photosynthesis
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Description
Taken at Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon.
From Wikipedia:
"The scimitar oryx or scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), also known as the Sahara oryx, is a species of Oryx once widespread across North Africa which went extinct in the wild in 2000.
It has a long taxonomic history since its discovery in 1816 by Lorenz Oken, who named it the Oryx algazel. This antelope stands a little more than 1 metre (3.3 ft) at the shoulder. The males weigh 140–210 kg (310–460 lb) and the females weigh 91–140 kg (201–309 lb). The coat is white with a red-brown chest and black markings on the forehead and down the length of the nose. The calves are born with a yellow coat, and the distinguishing marks are initially absent. The coats change to adult coloration at 3–12 months old.
The scimitar oryx formed herds of mixed sexes of up to 70 members, usually guided by the bulls. They inhabited semideserts and deserts and were adapted to live in the extreme heat, with their efficient cooling mechanism and very low requirement of water. Scimitar oryx feed on foliage, grasses, succulent plants and plant parts during the night or early morning. Births peak between March and October. After a gestation of eight to nine months, one calf is born. Soon after, the female has a postpartum estrus.
The scimitar oryx was once widespread across northern Africa. Its decline began as a result of climate change, and later it was hunted extensively for its horns. Today, it is bred in captivity in special reserves in Tunisia, Morocco and Senegal and on private exotic animal ranches in the Texas Hill Country. In 2016 a reintroduction program was launched and currently a small herd has been successfully reintroduced in Chad. In 2017, according to World Wide Fund for Nature the IUCN red list will downgrade the scimitar oryx from 'Extinct in the wild' to 'Critically endangered' and remove it from the Extinct in the wild list after the small herd was reintroduced in Chad. According to CNN, the news will show Scimitar oryx classified as 'Critically Endangered' in late August and early September 2017, while its natural habitat will be revived and increasing and its population is increasing.
The scimitar oryx was domesticated in Ancient Egypt and is believed to have been used as food and sacrificed as offerings to gods. Wealthy people in Ancient Rome also bred them. The use of their valuable hides began in the Middle Ages. The unicorn myth may have originated from sightings of a scimitar oryx with a broken horn."
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Comments (14)
X-PaX
Very nice capture. Well done.
Juliette.Gribnau
tack-sharp and beautiful
jayfar
Love the pin sharp details on this superb image.
Faemike55
beautiful capture and fascinating information - I'm glad that the population is growing again
Richardphotos
very much a quality capture
durleybeachbum
Superb photo.
kgb224
Superb capture my friend. God bless.
kenmo
Awesome...
beachsidelegs
Beautiful :)
kaward
Superb shot and info! That swept back horns look is so stylish!
goodoleboy
A loverly beast. The high contrast of the image makes for a magnificent portrait.
auntietk
I've had no luck taking pictures at zoos. I'm impressed with all the great shots you got!
sossy
wow impressive lesson and a wonderful capture showing stunning long horns! fav 😀
vdallas
The background is simple & sharp, but the noble Oryx adds its own geometry. Neat!