SPA Assists with the Oryx Reintroduction in 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 Reserve, a vast protected area set up in the 1960s specifically for the conserva- tion of oryx and other . This 77,360 km² protected area is one of the largest in the world and harbors some of the last remaining viable populations of and Dorcas . 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 , 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 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 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 ; sunset in Chad; dorcas , 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 more.Vulpes 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 ; , ; 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 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 . 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 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 arabs, Denham’s , Neo- itar-horned While many oryx aspectsroaming ofback 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 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. Swenson would check the animal’s overall health and allowinganimals have the monitoringhad their GPS team collars to be drop able off to attrack this them. point, This but thesure fit and of the photograph collar, and theirwe would bite, let securely them out fit of the the GPS chute. collar. The first morning on July 21st, we ran 25 animals through the bredgroup calves is the with ‘wildest’ them, of and all theone released of the cows animals has had and her has second never ventured back to the base camp. These oryx had wild born and TAMER, stopping at 9:30am because of the heat. We went back into the desert we saw at least 75 individual oryx, with many runout at13 4:30pm animals to through resume thecollaring, chute butand aget sandstorm 5 calves blewtagged which that calf since being released. In total, during our monitoring trips evening.slowed down the process considerably. We only managed to - The next morning on July 22nd, we were under consider- repeat sightings of herds as well. amount The oftracking battery of life the on oryx the every collars, day they for monitoring only relay purposthe ani- mal’ses was location a fascinating to the affair.satellite In orderevery to12 preserve hours. While the maximum this data Fortunately,able pressure we to getran the like mission a well-oiled completed machine as we that were day leaving and is incredibly beneficial for overall monitoring, it only gives you hadbase our camp first in 24hrsanimal to in catch the chuteour local at 5:15am. flight back We to got N’Djamena. all of the remaining 40 oryx collared and ready for release by 9:40am. the collared animals, the monitoring truck drives to their last a starting point for physically locating the animals. To locate - lars,The missionand they was will a success!be released Now into the oryxthe unfencedwill wait areserve couple asof known location and then uses a VHF antenna to try and pick- soonweeks as in enough the holding rain has pastures fallen. to adjust to wearing their col tionup the of onefrequency time, we given always off locatedby the animal’sthe oryx wecollars. were Generally tracking. speakingAfter thiswhat method seemed worked like an eternityquite well of waiting,and with the the GPS excep col- lars finally arrived in N’Djamena on the evening of July 19th. the jobOverall, we went the there trip wasto do a - collaring tremendous over achievement 70 Scimitar-horned of our On July 20th, the collars were flown by charter flight to Abéché Oryxgoals andfor release of international back into teamwork. their native We range.were able As ato bonus complete we were able to see some amazing sights and incredible wildlife along the way. and driven the final leg of the trip to base camp. Immediately- upon the collars arriving at 8:00pm that night, everyone in - camp worked together, forming an assembly line, to get the col- servation I cannot Fund stress and enoughthe Environment just how importantAgency Abu conservation Dhabi, the teries,lars prepped measured for deployment.and marked forEach size, of theand more antennas than checked.70 collars scimitar-hornedprojects like this oryx are. would Without not be groups roaming like the the desert Sahara of Chad Con had to be programmed, magnets removed to activate the bat right now. This is why we dedicate our lives to working with - We all woke up at 4:30 a.m. so we could get to the oryx TAMERholding chutepens at by first 5:50am. light. We hadwere all fortunate of the gear enough hauled to down have animals, breeding them, and educating the public - for oppor and everything set up to have the first oryx in the drop floor tunities like this. Human-managed breeding programs are one - hornedof the most oryx importantaround the and world, underappreciated this effort would components not have been of a very experienced team in place to work the chute and the conservation. Without a strong ex situ population of scimitar- animals, so the process went pretty smoothly. The entire pro cess would take about five minutes per animal from start to possible. finish. We would begin by pushing the oryx into the chute and

Leaving the chute. John Newby Oryx after collaring. Gavin Livingston ZAA Newsletter & Journal 7