Historically present throughout North Africa, the addax population has been widely hunted throughout the 20th century, meaning its population has dwindled to just a few hundred individuals. It is sometimes known as the “screwhorn antelope”.
Profile
Critically endangered (CR)
Lifestyle
The addax lives in the desert regions of North Africa. It feeds on sparse grasses and foliage, and obtains most of its water from its food.
Distinctive features
Females and males have spiral horns that can measure up to 1 metre long. And, while the male is slightly stockier, it is still difficult to tell them apart!
The Addax: an endangered species
Addax populations have collapsed to less than a hundred individuals due to hunting, oil exploration and civil unrest. It is the most threatened ungulate in the Sahara.
The survival of Addax populations depends on the protection of the last wild individuals and the conservation and reintroduction programmes in which several zoological parks, including those of the Muséum, are involved.
Addax offspring are regularly sent to reserves in Chad, Niger and Morocco, from where they are reintroduced into the wild. This action is accompanied by a programme of support for local communities to ensure the long-term protection of the environment and its wildlife.
THE GROUP OF DESERT ANTELOPES
MEET THE DESERT ANTELOPES
Oryx algazelles and addax do not share the same enclosure at the Parc zoologique de Paris. However, these two species of the bovid family do have one thing in common: they are among the most endangered species and are in urgent need of conservation.
