They are two and they were born at the beginning of May. They are the two babies Scimitar-horned Oryx who are the “great pride” of the Thoiry zoo, in the Yvelines. 20MinutesTV went to visit, this Tuesday, the two little females, solid hope for the species. Because the Scimitar-horned Oryx has been classified as an “extinct species in the wild” since the year 2000 and is on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
“There are no more wild scimitar-horned Oryx,” explains Christophe Grossiard, curator at Thoiry Zoo. The only ones that can be found in Africa now are in reserves or national parks. They were reintroduced from captive animals born in mainly European parks. “There are only a few thousand scimitar-horned Oryx “currently in the world” either in European zoos but also in Senegal, Tunisia or Niger.
Between climate, hunting, poaching and wars
Note that Thoiry zoo participates in the European breeding program (EPP) to reproduce this species in order to be able to reintroduce it in Saharan Africa. Because, this ruminant with white coat would be one of the many victims of global warming, the desert gaining its natural habitat (the steppes and semi-deserts of the Sahel). But also that of “excessive” hunting, poaching, wars in Africa. If you want to know more about this birth described as exceptional by the Thoiry zoo, you can watch the video above.
According tohe Thoiry Zoo websitethese two births “complete the four births of the year in all zoos in France”.