The Arabian Oryx has long straight horns. Some say that this animal is the model for the legendary Unicorn. They are in danger of extinction because people hunt them for their beautiful horns.
Body length: 160-178cm
Weight: 65-75kg
(Source: Doubutsu Sekai-isan* Red Data Animals Kodansha) (*World Animal Heritage)
They live in the deserts of Oman, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The Arabian Oryx likes to eat plants that contain a lot of water, like cactus. If they can't find these plants they will eat grasses and roots.
The Arabian Oryx gets its supply of water from plants and the evening mist. Because there isn't much water in the desert, the animal is built so that it doesn't have to drink a lot of water.
They were hunted for their beuatiful horns and actually went extinct once
The Arabian Oryx lives in the deserts of the Middle East. They have long straight horns and some say that this animal was the model for the legendary Unicorn. Since long ago, people have been hunting them for their beautiful horns. Due to the spread of guns and cars capable of driving through desert wastelands, the Arabian Oryx was finally driven to extinction in the 1970s. However, luckily rescue activities were started before all of the Arabian Oryxes could be hunted out, so the situation could have been much worse.
Fate strikes again for the Arabian Oryx reintroduced in the wild
The rescued Arabian Oryx were protected in zoos for a period of time. In 1980, efforts to reintroduce them in the wild began and their numbers gradually started to recover. But the nightmare began again. Illegal hunting began in part of the animal's habitat and its numbers suddenly dropped again. On top of that, the size of the reserves where the Arabian Oryx lives in has been shrunk to a tenth in order to develop resources. Once again the sad fate of this animal continues due to people's selfishness.
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