Sabeloryx

Sable oryx is the smallest of the oryx antelopes, which also includes gemsbok and Arabian oryx.

Long hunted for its beautiful fur and long horns, which are coveted hunting trophies, the Sabeloryx has been extinct in the wild. Aalborg Zoo has therefore contributed animals to long-term reintroduction programmes that have now resulted in a viable population in Chad. 

Besides humans, the animal's worst enemies are lions and cheetahs, while calves are most often attacked by smaller predators like jackals and hyenas.

The nutrient content of the plants the antelope eats is very low, so it must spend most of the day foraging for food.

The Sable oryx travels in groups that vary in number from a few to as many as 50 individuals. The groups seek out places where rain falls and have an incredible ability to locate rainfall. A group can walk over 90 kilometres to find water.

The Sabeloryx flock is usually led by one of the females, while the dominant male stays at the back of the flock. If the female loses her way in her search for water, the male steps forward and leads the flock back on the right path.

• Distribution: The Sable oryx only lives in fenced, protected areas in Tunisia, Senegal and Morocco, as part of long-term reintroduction programmes
• Stock: Endangered
• Weight: 135-140 kilos
• Body length: 190-220 centimetres
• Sexual maturity: From 1.5-2 years of age
• Gestation: 242-256 days. Seeks away from the flock to calve, but is back again a few hours later
• Number of cubs: Usually 1
• Food: Grasses and herbs, fruit, roots and leaves
• Life expectancy: 17 years in captivity. Unknown in the wild
• Latin name: Oryx dammah