By G.M. Oza
April 4, 1984 was a unique and eventful day in the history of wildlife conservation all over the world, and especially so in the Sultanate of Oman. On that memorable day eleven captive-bred Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx were reintroduced into the wild at Yalooni, the desert of the Jiddat al Harasis. Dr. Mark Stanley Price, the Project Manager, had inspected them carefully before the release, while the forest rangers belonging to the Harasis tribe offered prayers for their well-being, as they waited eagerly for the `rebirth' of what was once an integral part of their entire culture and life-system. With the release of this second herd of oryx into the wild, his Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, whose love and concern for the conservation of Oman's wildlife is legend, provides an opportunity to future generations to see and appreciate these magnificent animals; wild and free.
A true survivor of the arid desert, the oryx, feeds on whatever it can find by way of grass, herbs, roots and fruits. Its search for food and water often involves long and distant migrations. The remarkable oryx can exist for a full year without water, making do with moisture from dew and food instead. Photo: Paul F. Hoye.
I was fortunate enough to be witnessing the event that day. Ralph Daly, the Sultan's environment and conservation consultant, had invited me to take part in the operation as an observer in my capacity as Chairman of the Asian Antelope sub-group of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
I spent a total of six days in the desert at Jiddat al Harasis in order to help contribute to an overview on the status of Oman's antelopes in general and also to produce a short case study on the reintroduction of the Arabian white oryx into the wild.
Initiative to save the Arabian oryx commenced a little more than two decades ago when, in the year 1959, Dr. Lee Talbot, the internationally reputed wildlife ecologist, carried out his survey on this threatened species. Likewise the IUCN -- the world's largest alliance of conservation interests and a close partner and technical mentor of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) -- also drew attention to the near extinction of the oryx throughout the Arabian Peninsula. In February 1977, Dr. Jungius as Director of the WWF's Department of Conservation was requested by the Oman government to carry out a comprehensive study on the oryx of Oman. This was followed by a detailed investigation on the oryx in March 1978.
The Arabian oryx once occurred throughout the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Syria and even the Mesopotamian deserts, but has been extinct in the wild since 1972. Though one might naturally jump to the conclusion that this has been the result of habitat destruction or even tribal hunting, reports from several experts claim that the sole and most important reason for this decline is persecution at the hands of `modern' man. Men armed with automatic weapons and four-wheel drive vehicles relentlessly chased the oryx to their death, sparing neither pregnant nor young. Understandably, the animals wilted under the pressure and simply died out in their natural habitat. Despite their unique adaptive powers of fitting into the vast, bleak and waterless country, human forces were to prove an insurmountable barrier. This pitiful state was made worse by the fact that these animals are good walkers but poor runners.
The oryx is a good walker but a poor runner. This has helped lead to much persecution from man, as oryx-hunting became more a popular ‘sport’. The recent reintroduction of the animal into its wild home in Oman has proved to be a great success both for wildlife conservation and international co-operation. Photo: Paul F. Hoye.
Out of the four species of antelope, belonging to the genus Oryx, the Arabian is the rarest and also the smallest, measuring one metre at the withers. Its coat is almost pure white, touched with brownish-black colouring on the legs, and black markings on parts of the forehead, nose and cheeks. The tail is white. Fine, almost vertical horns sweep upwards curving slightly backwards and ringed almost the entire length through. These horns form the animal's chief weapon against its enemies. When attacked it puts its horns forward, almost parallel to the ground -- a formidable enough threat to even the most fierce predator, but unfortunately, useless against man's high-powered rifles.
Oryx have never been associated either with mountainous regions, or pure sandy deserts preferring to remain on the edges of sandy deserts where they are able to find vegetation on which to subsist. They are gregarious and live in herds numbering 6-100 animals. Old females seem to lead herds, of which the male/female ratio is usually 1:1. Rainfall, plant-growth and human presence are all responsible for the oryx's movements, though not much information on this is available. And, as is the case with most desert animals, the oryx can detect rainfall from great distances, leading it to migrate many miles in search of water. In fact, these remarkable animals can remain for months, even a year, without drinking water, obtaining adequate moisture from food and dew instead. Only during sudden winter rainfall does it avail of water in plenty. It is recorded, however, that an oryx in captivity with access to water can drink three to ten litres a day! Since the rainfall of the area is unpredictable, its migration pattern too is much the same.
The oryx is an opportunistic feeder and may be seen grazing morning, afternoon and even night -- whether in the wild or in captivity. As with water, their search for food may also lead them to travel miles. What forms their main diet is not really clear -- though their intake is believed to consist chiefly of grass, herbs, roots and fruits.
Photo: Paul F. Hoye.
Most female oryx give birth to young every year and in any month, provided conditions are favourable. The gestation period, as with humans, is nine months. Females about to give birth remain with the herd placing their calves in a shallow depression in the ground, under cover of shrubs and trees. Young oryx are active soon after birth standing up shakily in an attempt to follow their mothers.
Their main predators -- leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and wolves do not pose the animals with much of a threat today, as they themselves have been severely persecuted by man. Leopards are rare in oryx habitat, cheetahs are almost extinct and though hyenas and wolves are common they are found mainly in the mountainous regions. Drought therefore can be counted as being the single most important limiting factor in the growth of oryx populations.
Though the Arabian oryx once roamed free over the lowlands south of the north-eastern mountain ranges of Oman, by 1960 they were confined only to the Jiddat al Harasis. Realising their grave position, the Sultan of Muscat forbade all oryx hunting; a ban which was respected. In 1980, Sultan Qaboos of Oman renewed this decree and conferred on the people and Sheikh of the Harasis tribe, special rights to protect the oryx. This was once again upheld by the Bedouin locals, whose attitude towards the animals remains unchanged and as supportive as ever. The Harasis, a tribe numbering around 350-500 persons are desert-dwelling, livestock breeders. Having lived in the area since time immemorial, they too, like the oryx, are always on the move, in search of better pastures for their animals. And, as is the case with the oryx, the Harasis' migrations follow no definite pattern. These simple people were very concerned about the oryx's near extermination and greatly supported the reintroduction project. Some of the released oryx were fitted with solar powered radio-collars, and the Harasis trained in telemetry. The movement of the animals, and their well-being could thus be monitored at all times. The oryx which by all counts seemed destined to die in its very home has been saved by a band of committed conservationists who came to their rescue in the nick of time. Before trigger-happy people could gun this animal down the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society launched a major capture expedition on April 23, 1962. Rambles for a fortnight in the 8,000 sq. km. Arabian desert tract in South Yemen yielded only three animals -- two males and a female. These were flown to the Phoenix Zoo, Arizona, to form the nucleus of the Arabian Oryx World Herd Trust set up with the support of the WWF and other concerned conservation organisations. The world herd of the Arabian oryx at Phoenix increased to more than 30 animals within a span of ten years. In 1972, the trustees of the herd, and zoo officials took a decision to share their international heritage and so avoid problems associated with single populations. Several of the animals were shipped to other U.S. zoos with a group travelling to Jordan for future release.
The Arabian gazelle Gazelle gazelle arabica, related to the Indian chinkara, is found in fair numbers throughout oryx habitats. Photo: Paul F. Hoye.
Today, this world herd has flourished and numbers around 150 animals, distributed among various zoos over the United States and Europe. A similar number exists in private collections in the Middle East. The first phase in the reintroduction process actually began with a herd of thirteen captive-bred oryx being released in Oman on January 31, 1982. After living in an area of 1,000 sq.km. for 18 months this herd has expanded its range to areas of fresh grazing. They move regularly along their familiar routes and the herd is now firmly established in the wild, having integrated well with their wild ecosystem. Project Oryx was born; supported by powerful and influential people -- the Duke of Edinburgh, Sir Peter Scott, Dr. Hartmut Jungius and Richard Fitter --Chairman of the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society and of the Species Survival Commission Steering Committee of the IUCN. Twenty years after the inception of Operation Oryx, which has turned out to be a phenomenal success, conservationists can feel a sense of justifiable pride. And, even more important, we can all look forward to the future with hope. In our planet's history of wildlife conservation, the Arabian oryx has become synonymous with international co-operation and peaceful co-existence. We look forward to tomorrow.
