PICS: Dublin Zoo welcomes a new male scimitar-horned oryx, a species extinct in the wild

Would you look at him there?

Dublin Zoo is celebrating the birth of a male scimitar-horned oryx, a species classified as extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The new arrival was welcomed into the world on December 8 and brings the total number of the species currently residing at the zoo to four. Once widespread across Northern Africa, scimitar-horned oryx have gradually disappeared from the wild to the extent that they have now been classified as extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). A combination of factors, including overhunting, habitat loss and competition with domestic livestock has contributed to their declining numbers and there has been no definitive evidence of their presence in the wild for more than 15 years. Since 2013, Dublin Zoo has financially supported the reintroduction programme for the scimitar-horned oryx in Tunisia. Through conservation breeding programmes, zoo-bred oryx have been reintroduced into semi-wild areas in four national parks across Tunisia. Currently there are over 200 oryx in such semi-wild areas. Commenting on the birth, team leader Helen Clarke-Bennet said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the new arrival and recognise the significance of this birth in the conservation of the scimitar-horned oryx. The calf has shown strong signs of settling into its new surroundings and is mixing extremely well with the rest of the herd.” For more information, check out the Dublin Zoo website and Facebook page.