Al Ain Zoo celebrates birth of newborn Scimitar-horned Oryx and Addax

Al Ain, April 5, 2012 (WAM) - Al Ain Zoo is celebrating the recent birth of a Scimitar-horned Oryx and an Addax, both born last week, as part of the zoo's commitment to the conservation of arid land species. Inhabiting isolated regions in the Sahara, the Addax is well adapted to its stony desert habitat. Addax are considered critically endangered due to a severe population decline. Illegal hunting for meat and skins and the fragmentation and development of their habitat for agriculture, has pushed this species towards extinction in the wild. Once one of the most common large mammals in northern Africa, the Scimitar-horned Oryx roamed the Great Steppe region of the Sahara in herds of 1,000 or more animals. The Scimitar-horned Oryx is now believed to be extinct in the wild, having been hunted for meat and as sporting trophies. They have had to compete with livestock for food and their habitat has been fragmented due to agricultural development. - Emirates News Agency, WAM