Smithsonian Sends 'Extinct' Antelope Back to Africa

WASHINGTON, DC — The scimitar-horned oryx has been resurrected from the dead. It's been 30 years since the antelope was declared extinct, and now, thanks to the Smithsonian National Zoo, it's headed back to the Sahelian grasslands of Chad where it once roamed.

Scientists have spent decades resurrecting the species, which had gone extinct in the wild and was kept in existence by a few animals in captivity. Now, the oryx is headed back to the wilds of Africa, and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) and Zoological Society of London are "leading post-release satellite-tracking efforts that will result in the collection of one of the most comprehensive datasets for any wildlife species returned to its native habitat," according to a Smithsonian statement.

Steve Monfort, the John and Adrienne Mars director of SCBI, called it an "epic homecoming" for the species in the statement.

"This project was designed to ultimately give scimitar-horned oryx that chance, while also helping restore this grasslands ecosystem and to inspire and inform similar reintroduction efforts for other species," he said.

Now, the hard work begins. Last month, scientists put GPS collars on a couple dozen scimitar-horned oryx in Chad, and twice a day scientists will get the position of every animal, allowing the field staff to monitor the delicate population. This will provide scientists with valuable information on the oryx migration habits and whether they remain as one herd or disperse into smaller groups. It'll also let them know if a poacher kills one.

"This dataset is gold to any conservation researcher," SCBI postdoc Jared Stabach and the leader of the conservation team said in the statement. "We know so little about this species in the wild and the data we're collecting will tell us where these animals are — and what's going on with them — in near real-time over a number of years. We're essentially opening up a window that will help us understand how and why individuals move across the landscape and allow us to monitor each individual in a way that was never before possible."

The collars can even tell scientists an individual animal's temperature and level of activity.

The team hopes to release 500 wild oryx over the next five years to help build a self-sustaining population. The animals have been raised in a variety of locations, from the United States to Europe to the United Arab Emirates.

The antelope went extinct due to hunting and civil unrest in Chad, and many of the threats it faced back then still exist — as well as the new threat of climate change. But scientists are giving the oryx every chance at surviving under their watchful eye.

The SCBI is located in Front Royal, Virginia, and plays a "leading role in the Smithsonian's global efforts to save wildlife species from extinction." The SCBI also operates out of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and at worldwide stations and training sites.

Image via the Smithsonian Institute