National Park Service White Sands U.S. Department of the Interior

White Sands National Monument Oryx (Oryx gazella)

xotic species, or non-native plants or animals that have been introduced into an area, are often very detrimental to Enative plants, animals, and ecosystems. At White Sands National Monument, the oryx is one such animal. To reduce the impact this animal has on the ecosystem, certain measures have been devised to keep the oryx out of the monument.

A native of the Kalahari Desert, the into the plains. The African Barbary The success of the oryx in New African oryx, or gemsbok (Oryx sheep was introduced on land near Mexico is due in part to the gazella), is a large antelope that now Picacho, New Mexico. It is now well abundance of food. In Africa, they lives in southern New Mexico. It established and has expanded its eat grasses, forbs, and melons. Here, weighs up to 450 pounds and stands range. they feed on desert grasses, yucca, 47 inches tall at the shoulder, almost buffalo gourds, and mesquite bean as tall as the roof of the average car. Between 1969 and 1977, 93 oryx pods. They are especially adapted Both males and females have horns were released on White Sands to desert life and can go a long time that average 34 inches long. Their Missile Range and the surrounding without drinking water. This area also brown coloring with distinctive black- areas. Wild oryx were brought from lacks a way to control the population. and-white markings allows them to the Kalahari Desert in Africa to an Lions and other predators cull the hide among desert shrubs. experimental range at Red Rock, population in Africa, with only 10% New Mexico. Federal law prohibits of calves reaching one year of age. In To increase large game opportunities introducing wild animals from other New Mexico, predators like coyotes for hunters, the New Mexico countries into the wild, so offspring and mountain lions are not effective Department of Game and Fish were obtained from these first oryx to at controlling numbers, allowing the wanted to establish an exotic animal introduce onto the missile range. oryx to breed without restriction. population in an area where there were few species of big game. Several There are thousands of oryx in species were considered, including residence on the missile range. Annual the greater kudu, which turned out hunts for the oryx began in 1974 and to be highly susceptible to cattle continue to this day to help control diseases, and was never released into and stabilize the population. Because the wild. the oryx is not native to this country, The ibex, a member of the goat the National Park Service (NPS) is family from Siberia and Iran, concerned about how this animal was introduced into the Florida affects the native plants and animals Mountains near Deming, New of White Sands National Monument. Mexico. The ibex successfully In 1996, the NPS erected a 67-mile colonized in that area and has begun boundary fence to prevent the oryx to move out of the mountains and from entering the monument.

The dynamics of an oryx social group are unusual in comparison to other species. Nonterritorial males are often found residing in groups with females and their young. These groups are usually comprised of about 40 individuals. Revised 04/03/16