Cape May County Zoo Announces Birth of Two Scimitar-Horned Oryx

COURT HOUSE – Winter is usually a quiet time at the Cape May County Zoo, but February proved to be a departure from the normal with the birth of two Scimitar-Horned Oryx, the first born at the Cape May County Zoo since 1998.
Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Alex Ernst, reported that on Feb. 15, a male Scimitar-Horned Oryx was born, and on Feb. 27, a female was born. “Both calves are healthy and strong, and at this time isolated with their mothers until they are old enough to be introduced to Dad, and the pair of Watusi that share the same habitat. The birth of two Scimitar-horned Oryx is significant to both the County and the Species Survival Plan (SSP),” Dr. Ernst explained.
In announcing the birth of the Scimitar-Horned Oryx, Freeholder Marie Hayes, who oversees the Cape May County Park and Zoo added, “Unfortunately, due to the winter weather conditions, the calves will not be out for public viewing until the climate is more moderate and they are older and ready to be introduced to the father, Levi. At that time, we will make sure the public is informed and has an opportunity to see the new addition to the Zoo family.”
The Cape May County Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and participates in a number of its species survival programs. “Zoo Director Dr. Hubert Paluch and the Staff of both the Park and the Zoo do a tremendous job and have put Cape May County on the world map in their contribution to the conservation efforts of the AZA and the Species Survival Plan. The Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders is proud of the staff and appreciates the work they do to ensure the safety of the animals under their care and especially how well they maintain the Parks and Zoo,” Freeholder Hayes added.
Scimitar-horned Oryx historically were widespread across North Africa, in arid and Saharan areas, but now extinct in the wild over all its range. Captive herds are kept in fenced protected areas in Tunisia, Senegal and Morocco as part of long-term reintroduction programs. Over hunting and habitat loss, including competition with domestic livestock, has been reported as the main reasons for the extinction of the wild population of Scimitar-horned Oryx.
There are currently 20 AZA institutions holding 187 Scimitar-horned Oryx in North America. Listed as one of the most important and critical of all managed under the Survival Species Plan (SSP), the Scimitar-Horned Oryx has been considered extinct in the wild since 1998. An estimated 500 Oryx survived at least until 1985 in Chad and Niger, but by 1988 only a few dozen individuals survived in the wild and since then there have been no confirmed reports of any wild Oryx surviving in the wild.
The mission of an AZA Species Survival Plan® (SSP) Program is to cooperatively manage specific, and typically threatened or endangered, species population within AZA-accredited Zoos and Aquariums, Certified Related Facilities, and Approved Non-Member Participants.
There are currently more than 500 SSP Programs, each managed by their corresponding Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGs), within AZA. Each is responsible for developing a comprehensive population Studbook and a Breeding and Transfer Plan which identifies population management goals and recommendations to ensure the sustainability of a healthy, genetically diverse, and demographically varied AZA population.
Many of these SSP Programs represent species that urgently need to be conserved and protected in the wild, such as the giant panda, California condor, and lowland gorilla. SSP Programs, as well as AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums, significantly contribute to field conservation efforts, species recovery, veterinary care for wildlife disease issues, establishment of assurance populations, as well as many other species-focused conservation efforts.