These days there are more than 6,000 wild oryx living in semi-captivity on protected lands to keep them safe from poaching. In 2011, the international union for the conservation of nature was able to reclassify the Arabian oryx as vulnerable thanks to successful re-release programs in countries like Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Their fur is white with contrasting dark chocolate brown legs. But captive populations thrived on private reserves and in zoos around the worldone large program at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona bred them in captivity. Arabian oryx: noun an endangered oryx (Oryx leucoryx) originally occurring from Syria to the southern Arabian Peninsula and now surviving in captivity and in herds reintroduced into the wild. This smallest member of the family is between 70 and 83 high. Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) were officially considered extinct in the wild in 1972, according to the International Union for Conservation of Naturethe last wild oryx was shot in Oman. They tend to eat these plants at night when their moisture content is highest, and have also been known to lick condensation off of rocks and vegetation after heavy fog. The Arabian Oryx is one of the four antelope species on earth. But today, thanks to efforts spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, experts are citing the swell in its numbers as one. Like many other desert mammals, Arabian oryx can go for a long time without drinking water, and can instead stay hydrated by eating grasses, herbs, roots, bulbs and even melons. Oryx are beautiful antelope with long, straight, and slender horns. DUBAI: More than four decades ago, the Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild. These antelopes are well adapted to life in a desert, capable of thriving in environments with little water and high, hot winds. They have broad hooves meant to help them endure long walks on loose gravel and sand, and long, lance-like horns that can be used for self-defense. Their coat helps reflect the sun’s intense heat in the summer and catch its warmth in the winter. The Arabian oryx is a short antelope with a bright white coat and striking black markings on its face and legs. This along with several other reintroductions helped their status move from extinct to endangered in 1986, and “vulnerable” in 2011. Although they were classified as “extinct in the wild” in 1972, they were reintroduced in Oman a decade later. The Arabian oryx is one of four species of wild oryx, and one of three species here at Fossil Rim.
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