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The trend towards extinction in the wild was faster in the Sahelian zone north of the Sahara
than the southern Sahelian Zone, and the northern population of scimitar-horned oryx were
probably exterminated by 1900 (Newby, 1978a). Up until the 1920s and 1930s, oryx were
abundant throughout the southern part of their range from the Atlantic to the Nile and were
considered common in some areas (Anon, 1987; Newby 1978). By 1978, the largest
remaining population could be found in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve in
Chad. However, political unrest meant that conservation efforts in this area had to be
abandoned until 1986 (Anon, 1987). By mid 1987, it is almost certain that the number of
scimitar-horned oryx in the wild had plummeted to less than a 1000 with the only
surviving population being found in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve (Anon,
1987). Little data is available on the final demise of free-living scimitar-horned oryx, but
the 2001 survey of Chad found no evidence of any remaining scimitar-horned oryx in the
wild (Moksia et al., 2001). Further information on the extinction dates of SHO from each
range state can be found in table 1.
Table. 1. The individual country extinction dates of scimitar-horned oryx (SHO) across its former
range.
Country Extinction date Notes
Egypt 1850s The last specimen was killed about 1850.
Senegal 1850s Probably extinct in the 1850s. In 1999 SHO were reintroduced to fenced areas in the
Guembeul Fauna Reserve and have now been transferred to The Ferlo NP.
Tunisia 1906 SHO persisted in Tunisia until 1906 when they disappeared from the wild. In 1985,
& 1999 SHO were reintroduced to fenced areas in Bou Hedma & Sidi Toui NPs,
with a small semi-captive herd held in Oued Dekouk Reserve.
Morocco 1930s Last report of SHO was in the south-west of the country in 1932. Since then they
have been reintroduced to fenced areas in Souss Massa NP.
Libya 1940s SHO were probably extinct by the 1940s. Reports suggest that some SHO have been
reintroduced to Libya, but no details are available.
Burkina 1950s Probably extinct by the 1950s, but SHO were definitely extinct in Burkina Faso by
Faso
1975.
Algeria 1960s In 1987, two dead oryx were reported from the Tassili NP in the south of the country
near the border with Niger. Now believed to be extinct in Algeria.
Mauritania 1960s Believed to be extinct since 1965, 2 individuals were killed in 1959.
Western 1963 The last report was of a dead SHO found in 1963. Now believed to be extinct in
Sahara
Western Sahara.
Sudan 1978 Reliable report of oryx alive in September 1976, but the last known report of SHO in
the country was in 1977.
Mali 1981 By 1979 only a few individuals survived, and the SHO was thought to be extinct by
1982.
Niger 1983