![]() The objectives were to capture as many oryxes as possible, relocate them into a suitable propagation program, and reintroduce offspring back into the wild once numbers were high enough to do so. The FFI began plans to initiate a mission to Aden in April of 1962. Talbot cited concerns about ongoing poaching as the chief reason for developing a propagation program for this species otherwise, the revered Arabian oryx would go extinct in the wild within just a few years. Lee Talbot, a renowned ecologist, noted that the Arabian oryx appeared to be extinct throughout all of its former range except for the southern region of the Rub-al –Khali desert. In his 1960 publication for the Fauna Preservation Society (FFI) “A Look at Threatened Species,” Dr. It had been hunted since ancient times, but with the advent of motorized vehicles and high-powered weapons, its numbers drastically declined in the 1940s and 50s. The Arabian oryx used to range throughout the desert regions of the Arabian Peninsula extending to the Syrian Desert. ![]() The Zoo would gladly accept the task of resurrecting the Arabian oryx, thus, becoming the keeper of “World Herd.” ![]() We will revisit Operation Oryx: a grand expedition to capture what was then believed to be the last few remaining Arabian oryx in the wild and to bring them to Arizona. In 1962, the fledging Phoenix Zoo joined with the Fauna Preservation Society (now named Fauna and Flora International)(FFI) and others to play a significant role in rescuing this magnificent animal from the brink of extinction and, ultimately, reintroducing it back into the wild in Oman. In fact, the Arabian oryx went extinct in the wild in 1972. In 1960, it was hunted extensively for food and for the presumed magical powers of its horn. The Arabian oryx is in many zoos in this country and around the world now, but that wasn’t always the case. ![]() The beautifully aligned, long slender horns adorning the head of both male and female Arabian oryx is believed to have given rise to the legend of the unicorn. The Arabian oryx is an almost-pure white antelope christened with a blaze of jet-black across its nose and lower jaw, with black legs that make them look as if they are wearing stockings. For the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo each year, seeing the Arabian oryx is an absolute delight. ![]()
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