The Arabian Oryx
...human can only exist two days without water. The Arabian Oryx is like a copycat camel. The Oryx Physical Description is somewhat interesting. It has a black and white face mask. They have, rusty brown necks and chest, and they are mostly white. Calves are born with yellowish coats and no markings; they will get their markings later in life. The average weight is about 148 lb. The average length is about 5.5 ft. Their shoulder height is about 3.8 ft. The Arabian Oryx has a very complicated physical description, but each one is unique in it’s own special way. Like I said in the introduction, the Arabian Oryx lives in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and parts of Egypt. It likes to live in gravel plains, and fringes of sand desert. They prefer rocky or stony plains to soft sand and steep mountains. A couple of years ago, they were only captive in the USA. They were completely gone from their original habitat in 1972. Today there are a few thousand left in captivity and about 500 living wild. The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary is one of the largest protected areas in Arabia and includes one of the only two free-ranging herds of Arabian Oryx in the world. The successful re-introduction of the oryx has been part of a process to rehabilitate a diverse and unique desert ecosystem. The reason the Arabian Oryx is endangered is excessive hunting. People used to hunt them for their horns and hides. For many years, they were hunted for their meat and blood, believing that their blood had healing powers against certain illnesses. Then when four- wheel drive vehicles were available, gunman hunted the animals to extinction in the wild. Though there was an awareness of the Oryx endangerment as early as 1959, major conservation efforts were not made until 1961. At that time, in a movement called “Operation Oryx” a few remaining animals were brought to Phoenix zoo and Arizona from several places in the world. In 1982, 10 animals born in captivity were released in Oman hoping that other areas would follow. Like Operation Oryx, a number of programs have been started to help save animals that we are in danger of losing forever. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 provides a program for the conservation of threatened and endangered plants and animals and the habitats in which they are found. The law prohibits taking any endangered species or affecting their habitat. If this law is broken, it is considered a federal crime, which could result in fines/im...