Those oryx are truly beautiful animals. Great photos!

I cannot believe they survive in such a barren desert.

Do they eat sand!? I see little else!

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
Those oryx are truly beautiful animals. Great photos!

I cannot believe they survive in such a barren desert.

Do they eat sand!? I see little else!

Mike,

They used to be here a long time ago, and they almost became extinct.

Some were bred in captivity. and as they increased, they were released in certain areas, where food and water is provided for them

You can see in some of the photos where the fenced in feeding areas.

These areas have a high fence, but open at the bottom.

They can pass through it, camels cannot.

That particular area of Dubai has some flat areas where the dunes do not form.

It has an enormous solar plat, and a cycling track of around 100 miles.

It is well kept, and very popular.

People are cycling there day and night.

To the side of that are very big sand dunes.

Those are also very popular with campers and dune bashers.

We try to go out there every week.

There are also camel farms.

Where they breed camels for milk and meat.

Quite a diversified use of that area.

Best part is it is a 30 minute drive from the very busy Dubai City!

Saeed, I love that they have been brought back from the brink of extinction and returned to their natural habitat, even if some support is needed to keep them healthy.

As I am sure you know, the same thing happened to our buffalo, or plains bison, here in the USA.

We can even hunt them now, but more wisely and sustainably, I am happy to say. I have not yet hunted our American buffalo, but it is on my list of things I dearly want to do.

One day I will buy a Sharps rifle and head west, just as our forbears once did.

Is it possible to hunt your oryx, or are they too few and still threatened?

For some reason, big game animals are more interesting to me if I can hunt them.

Yes, there some reservations that do offer hunts for all our desert species.

Not in this rea though, as these are on open pubic land, for the enjoyment of everyone.

Someone just posted a picture in another publication about hunting some of your desert species with a bow.

I believe Arjun offers hunts for these species.

Those look like the scimitar oryx.
Some time back I recall the scimitar Oryx were close to extinction in their native Africa territory.
There were quite a lot being breed in south and central Texas.
There was a push by some animal group to confiscate them and return them to Africa.
The local contention was why do that when they will be killed by locals.
The reason they still existed as they were being bred and managed in the Texas high fenced ranches.
This may have been decades ago. Do not recall the outcome.
I think there are still some here.

Those oryx sure look healthy... Has to be impressive to drive past them...

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
Those look like the scimitar oryx.
Some time back I recall the scimitar Oryx were close to extinction in their native Africa territory.
There were quite a lot being breed in south and central Texas.
There was a push by some animal group to confiscate them and return them to Africa.
The local contention was why do that when they will be killed by locals.
The reason they still existed as they were being bred and managed in the Texas high fenced ranches.
This may have been decades ago. Do not recall the outcome.
I think there are still some here.

There is no such thing as "animal groups".

A bunch of stupid, ignorant, self serving, emotional idiots who have absolutely no clue about animals and wild life.

We have been breeding rare species, and returning some to their original countries.

We have Arabian Oryx, Scimitar horned Oryx, Dama gazelle, Addax and others.