RETURN OF THE SCIMITAR- HORNED ORYX TO CHAD. John Newby Sahara Conservation Fund

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1 RETURN OF THE SCIMITAR- HORNED ORYX TO CHAD John Newby Sahara Conservation Fund AZA Annual Conference Indianapolis 2017

2 project partners Government of Chad Zoological Society of London Fossil Rim Wildlife Center The Scimitar-horned Oryx Reintroduction Programme in Chad is a joint initiative of the Government of Chad and the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi. Under the overall leadership and management of the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi, on-the-ground implementation of the project is carried out by the Sahara Conservation Fund.

3 thank you too IUCN Conservation Planning SG IUCN Antelope SG IUCN Reintroduction SG AZA Antelope TAG EAZA Antelope TAG Addax & Oryx Foundation The Wilds Convention on Migratory Species Saint Louis Zoo San Diego Zoo Marwell Wildlife The Living Desert Al Ain Zoo National Zoo Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Wildlife departments of Algeria, Niger, Morocco and Tunisia

4 ambitious goals Within 5 years, establish a secure, viable and freeranging population of 500 breeding oryx Ultimately, have the oryx removed from the IUCN Extinct-in-the-Wild category

5 in a nutshell On August 16, 2016, scimitar-horned oryx returned to the wild after an absence of over 30 years. Five months earlier, they were welcomed home to Chad as long lost sons returning from a long sojourn overseas. To date, 90 oryx have been returned to the wild and have started breeding, unconfined by fences, unsupplemented with food and water, and unharmed by human beings.

6 [fairly] recent history Oryx numbers fell inexorably during the past century, thanks to overhunting and the colonization of their Sahelian grassland habitat. By the 1970s less than 5,000 remained. By the end of the 1980s they were extinct in the wild.

7 thanks to captive-breeding Thankfully, many oryx can be found in captivity, underlining the vital role zoos and private collections have in maintaining viable, insurance populations of endangered species. Were it not for these, the oryx would be extinct period.

8 anatomy of a success An ambitious, relevant and engaging idea Meticulous analysis & planning Building a constituency of supporters, especially locally Catching the imagination of the local people

9 the power of partnership Build a powerful partnership Skilled, competent and creative implementation Rigorous monitoring learning improvement Exciting communications Good fortune, and seeing and seizing an opportunity Long-term commitment on all fronts

10 so far so good short-term success depends heavily on technical skills and money but is this sufficient and sustainable? long-term success will call for much, much more. moving the paradigm from a technical one to a sociodevelopmental one.

11 risks and threats Civil strife and terrorism the Sahel-Sahara region is pretty unstable right now Weak governance (policies, enforcement, support, ) Habitat loss and degradation Loss of support from local communities

12 nothing ventured nothing gained In an early planning session I was informed by an expert that we were wasting our time and that even if we did manage to bring the oryx back to Chad they would be killed and eaten within a fortnight. They were wrong!

13 success The oryx reintroduction project is currently a success Species such as the Critically Endangered dama gazelle have benefitted The vast but virtually-forgotten Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve is enjoying a new lease of life Opportunities have been created for further reintroductions (addax, ostrich, dama gazelle)

14 take home messages WE CAN DO IT! We have the skills and the resources Plan well Be optimistic and take [calculated] risks Build strong partnerships and local support

15 follow the oryx saharaconservation.org Sandscript Oryx Field Bulletins #ScimitarHornedOryx Facebook

16 thank you!