White oryx

It has many physiological adaptations that allow it to conserve body water: its kidneys are very efficient and it sweats only when its body temperature exceeds 46ºC. Their large hooves, moreover, help them spread the weight of their robust body in the soft sand.

They generally move in herds that vary in size from 2 to 40 individuals. A dominant male guides the group and decides when and where they will move. Due to its great nomadic ability it travels many miles in search of new green grass. Although they tend to stay in small groups of about 40, when food is scarce and concentrated they can form herds of more than 100. It breeds once a year and the female gives birth to a single calf after a gestation of 8 to 8.5 months.

Although it is extinct in the wild, mainly due to indiscriminate hunting for its horns, it continues to exist thanks to the large number of individuals living in controlled habitats or under human care.

The Selwo Aventura white oryx group is part of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP) of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA).