The Arabian Oryx

The Arabian oryx is a medium-sized antelope native to desert areas of the Arabian Peninsula. It has a distinct shoulder bump.

Its coat is luminous white with brown legs. Horns reach up to 1.49 m long.

Hollow horns cannot regrow once broken off.

In 1962, the Phoenix Zoo started the first captive-breeding herd with 9 animals.

By 1980, reintroduction into the wild began. In 2016, populations were estimated at 1,220 individuals in the wild.

Herds follow infrequent rains to eat new plants. A herd in Oman ranges over 3,000 square kilometers.

During summer droughts, it lies completely inactive beneath shade trees during the day. It reduces resting metabolic rate by 50 percent.

Aristotle held that the oryx was the prototype for the unicorn myth. Aristotle never checked the other side.