EXTINCT IN THE WILD
Scimitar-horned oryx were
once one of the most
prominent mammal species
across northern Africa, but
climate change and human
hunting drove them to
extinction from the wild in 1999;
for this reason, every calf is of
great importance to the survival
of their species.
Amazing
Gracie
Two oryx calves were born at the Zoo in early 2017.
The oldest, a male, thrived from the beginning;
younger female Gracie, however, was neglected
by her mother. To ensure her survival, Gracie was
removed from the herd at several days of age and
hand-reared by animal care staff.
After initially struggling to feed from the bottle,
Gracie found her footing and progressed healthily.
She was moved from an indoor, temperature-
controlled stall to an outdoor enclosure adjacent
to the oryx yard.
Keeper-supervised introductions helped familiarize
Gracie with the herd, and we were relieved to see
how quickly she bonded with the other calf.
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