The Arabian oryx is a type of antelope that was on the verge of extinction but, due to a reintroduction program, was brought back from the brink.
Oryx were gathered from around the globe and were sent to Pheonix, Arizona due to the quality zoo there as well as the fact that it has a similar environment to the middle east.
There they were mated for years until their numbers grew. Then they were released into the wild of Saudi Arabia.
There were as few as 200 oryx in the world at one point, and now there are over 8,000.
The oryx is supposedly the source of the unicorn legend because their horns can break off, leaving behind a skull with one horn on it.
A man involved in the oryx program said:
“It’s too early to call this a complete success, but from all indications, it is going in the right direction.”
Yay! Welcome back oryx!
[Image via AP Images.]
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