Saharan Addax

"The Critically Endangered addax (Addax nasomaculatus) is a true desert-adapted antelope . . . Once found in large numbers across vast tracts of the Sahara, illegal over-exploitation and persecution led to a rapid decline in numbers over the past half-century. Since 2007, when there were estimated to be only 200-300 animals remaining, there has been a sharp fall in direct observations, tracks and local reports. This recent drop coincides with the start of oil exploration and production and an increase in numbers of people transiting through addax habitat. With these pressures exacerbated by regional security concerns, there are thought to be fewer than 100 animals — and perhaps less than half that figure - surviving in the wild today . . . The crucial challenge for the wild addax is to eliminate poaching and excessive disturbance across the desert region where the last population survives. This includes enhancing anti-poaching capacity in the reserve and extending targeted protective measures across the whole addax zone . . . potentially aided by satellite tracking animals across their migratory pathways. In addition, it may be possible to protect a small group of breeding addax in Niger under captive or semi-captive conditions . . . None of these interventions are easy in the remote and harsh desert environment, but the time has come to act if there is hope of avoiding this otherwise inevitable extinction."