弯角剑羚种

外观

弯角剑羚肩高仅多于1米，重约200公斤。毛皮呈白色，胸部呈红褐色，前额延至鼻端都有黑纹。它的角幼长，像弯刀般向后弯曲，雄性及雌性的角都可长达1-1.25米。

生态

弯角剑羚栖息于草原及沙漠，专吃树叶、草及水果。它们的群族可达70头，迁徙时会聚集几千头。它们可以几个星期不喝水也能生存，原因是它们的肾脏可以阻止流失水分及控制体温来避免流汗。

保育

弯角剑羚因其角而被猎杀至接近灭绝。它们曾一度分布在整个撒哈拉沙漠，但现时已被认为是野外灭绝，不过仍有未经证实的报道称在乍得及尼日尔发现它们的踪迹。

1960年代曾有哺养弯曲剑羚的计划。1996年统计有2145头弯角剑羚在德克萨斯州及最少有1250头在其他地方的动物园及公园生存。在突尼斯有一个群族被保存了下来，并正计划扩展至野外。

The scimitar oryx (Oryx dammah), also known as the scimitar-horned oryx and the Sahara oryx, is an Oryx species that was once widespread across North Africa and parts of West and Central Africa. In 2000, it was declared extinct in the wild on the IUCN Red List, but in 2023, it was downlisted to endangered, with a reintroduced population in Chad. This particular oryx is adapted to harsh desert conditions and can survive for months without drinking water. A grazing animal, it derives most of its daily moisture intake from plants.

The decline of the scimitar oryx population began as a result of climate change during the Neolithic period, and later it was hunted extensively for its horns. Today, it is bred in captivity in special reserves in Tunisia, Morocco, and Senegal, and on private exotic animal ranches in the Texas Hill Country, United States. In 2016, a reintroduction program was launched, and currently a small herd has been successfully reintroduced in Chad.

The scimitar oryx was the emblem of the ancient Egyptian Oryx nome and today is the animal symbol of the Sahara Conservation Fund.