SPA Assists with the Oryx Reintroduction in Chad by Gavin Livingston, Program Manager, Source Population Alliance 2016 release herd of scimitar-horned oryx, Oryx dammah. Gavin Livingston “The Scimitar-horned Oryx Reintroduction Program is the fruit of a meticulous process of research, planning and consultation. Under the leadership of the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF), a major stakeholder meeting was held in Chad in 2012, followed by program and budget planning at EAD in Abu Dhabi later the same year. After feasibility studies were carried out by EAD, SCF and Zoological Society of London in 2013, it was decided to focus the project on Chad’s Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve, a vast protected area set up in the 1960s specifically for the conserva- tion of oryx and other desert species. This 77,360 km² protected area is one of the largest in the world and harbors some of the last remaining viable populations of Dama and Dorcas gazelles. With the signing of project agreements between EAD and the Government of Chad, and EAD and SCF in 2014, work began on building a basecamp and pre-release pens in the reserve, and the selection of oryx from the nascent World Herd in Abu Dhabi for transport to Chad. In March 2016, 25 oryx were flown to Chad and transferred to the pre-release pens for acclimatization. In August that year, they were released into the reserve, the first scimitar-horned oryx to be reintroduced since they were declared Extinct-in-the- Wild by IUCN in 2000. Following three further shipments of oryx from Abu Dhabi, and three releases, there are 138 adult oryx in the wild, and 43 calves born in Chad. Over the coming years, the goal is to build up a viable, free-ranging and self-sustaining population of at least 500 animals, and in the longer term, have the oryx removed from the Extinct-in-the-Wild category and reassigned to a lower level of threat.” Sahara Conservation Fund www.saharaconservation.org Oryx Release Project Background - SPA’s Involvement - The Trip The Source Population Alliance (SPA) has been involved On July 9, 2018, our group began the long journey to the- Wildlifewith this Centerproject andthrough the Smithsonianour program Conservationparticipants since Biology be ect.Republic Adam of Eyres, Chad Directorto help Sahara of Animal Conservation Care, Fossil Fund Rim place Wildlife GPS fore SPA was formalized as a conservation program. Fossil Rim tracking collars on Scimitar-horned Oryx for the release proj- lie Swenson, Associate Veterinarian, Fossil Rim Wildlife Cen- Institute have contributed to this project in a variety of ways Center and White Oak’s Antelope Conservation Fellow; Dr. Ju Chad.including SPA providingExecutive expertise,Committee studies member, on Larrythe effect Johnson of the of GPS Sa- tracking collars on the oryx, and on-the-ground support in ter; and I went on this trip. The 70+ oryx we helped collar on- 42 scimitar-horned oryx that were sent to Abu Dhabi in 2015 this mission flew over from Abu Dhabi in three shipments this fari Enterprises, was responsible for assembling the group of past February, and have be acclimating to the area in pre-re lease pens. to provide new genetics to the ‘World Herd’. The ‘World Herd’ The options for flying to Chad from Europe are limited, and is the group of animals in Abu Dhabi that serve as a source for athere series are of only delays 3 flights that aalmost week tohad the us capital missing city our of N’Djamena.connecting the reintroduction project in Chad. flights.This presented All told, ona challenge the way to when Chad we we encountered had 8 delays our and first 3 new in signing Last of year, an MoU. in 2017, Both Source organizations Population are workingAlliance andto combine Sahara Conservation Fund created a formal relationship through the issue,planes but assigned none ofto usus, traveling and ended from up Texasarriving got in there Chad with about our 6 our collective strengths to maximize our conservation impact- hours later than anticipated. The late arrival was not a major silfor RimSahelo-Saharan Wildlife Center, species. the Smithsonian Conservation Biology In July of 2018, representatives from, amongst others, Fos luggage, which included our camping gear. Ultimately 5 of our 6 bags arrived two days later, and my last bag showed up at the ofInstitute, oryx slated White for Oak release Conservation, into their nativeand the range. Source Population end of the trip. Alliance traveled to Chad to assist with collaring the next group Travel delays and lost baggage are a pain to be sure but not ZAA Newsletter & Journal 4 unexpected when traveling internationally. The issue we had Clockwise from upper left: Wild scimitar horned oryx, Oryx dammah; West African crowned crane, Balaerica pavonina; white-throated bee-eater, Merops albicollis, on a dead camel; sunset in Chad; dorcas gazelle, Gazelle dorcas; Wadi Achim. Gavin Livingston ZAA Newsletter & Journal 5 Telemetry to find oryx. Adam Eyres Wild scimitar-horned oryx, Oryx dammah. Gavin Livingston - Hyaena hyaena Vulpes rueppellii rived,not anticipated and we learned was an during extreme our delay travels in the there GPS that tracking they would collar Vulpesmore. Forzerda carnivores,. For me, thethere real were stars sightings of the show of stripped were the hyena, un- notarrival. be there The collarsfor at least were a week.supposed Ultimately, to be in we Chad had when to delay we ourar gulates: Dorcas; Ruppel’sgazelle, Gazelle fox, dorcas ; and fennecNanger fox, return by a week, and the collars would eventually arrive 2 1/2 dama Oryx dammah. Getting ; dama gazelle, ; and wild scimitar-horned oryx, days before we were scheduled to leave base camp. 100the opportunity damas left in to the the wild, see thewith dama at least gazelle 20 or out so inin thethis wild reserve. was with Our our group Fossil that Rim-based traveled team together leaving for this a few mission days madelate after the Wean unexpected were fortunate surprise. enough IUCN to see estimates four individual there are males only on about this waitingjourney forfrom our the luggage capital to toarrive. ‘Base The Camp journey Oryx’ from in twoChad’s groups, larg- trip. nightest city, in theN’Djamena, 2nd largest out city, to Abéché.the base The camp drive is froma two-day N’Djamena affair Karma. We Wadismade a are trek very for asimilar couple to of an days arroyo farther in thenorth southwest into the that takes about 18hrs, with a stop along the way to spend the- reserve to visit a wildlife hotspot in the Wadi Achim and Wadi- to Abéché is on paved roads, but half of the time is spent driv United States and are essentially riverbeds that fill up season ing in side tracks because the pot holes are so large you could addaxally and and provide oryx in water, this area, food, it andwas anot reprieve uncommon from tothe see heat herds for sixbreak hours a truck of extremely axle in them. rough The travel final on leg desert of the track. trip out to ‘Base ofwildlife. 25-50 Thirty addax yearsand oryx ago, inbefore these civil wadis, war alonghad wiped with ostrich,out the Camp Oryx’ in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve is dama gazelle, and warthogs. While most of the animals are One major benefit of experiencing a delay in the arrival of the near future oryx will roam this far north and be joined by the GPS collars, and our work being put on hold was that we- addaxgone, this and habitat dama gazelle is still largelyas well. intact, and it is the hope that in calhad wildlife. more time The to bird spend diversity on game was drives very strong, and oryx including monitoring mul- . Our group was lucky enough to see an amazing arrayNeotis of lo memorable, there was nothing more moving than seeing scim- nuba Ardeotis arabs, Denham’s bustard, Neo- itar-horned While many oryx aspectsroaming of back this in journey their native to collar range. oryx Having was tistiple denhami sightings of three bustardLeptoptilos species: Nubian crumenifer bustard, stork,; ArabianCiconia bustard,addimii Tockus them in their range country after being extinct in the wild was erythrorhynchus; marabou stork, Merops; albicollisAbdims’s a special fondness for scimitar horned oryx, setting eyes on sacred ibis, Threskiornis; northern aethiopicus red-billed hornbill, Gyps that these oryx are once again in the desert and thriving, is a rueppelli ; white-throated bee-eater,Balaerica pavonina and; livingone of breathingthe most amazing testament things to why I have the ever conservation witnessed. breeding The fact ; Rüppell’s vulture, ; West African crowned crane, Radio collaring process - Chute system. Gavin Livingston “TAMER”. Gavin Livingston Collaring oryx. Gavin Livingston ZAA Newsletter & Journal 6 work of ranches, conservation breeding centers, and zoos mat- dropping the floor. The person on each side holding the head ters so much for the survival of many species. would secure the horns and put on the blindfold so we could- During our time in Chad, we saw five or six separate herds laringput hoses was on underway. the ends of the horns. Then the two people on the of oryx on our monitoring runs. These herds were comprised back of the chute would help hold the animal down while col 18groups animals as large from as the 25 originalanimals 2016down release.to smaller All herdsof the of 2016 five oryx’s neck to fit the correct collar, change out ear tags, mea- or six, plus individual bulls. The first herd we saw comprised For the actual collaring process, we would measure the fortunately an animal from the 2017 release has joined them, Then Dr.