Critically EndangeredHirola
Beatragus hunteri
One of the 4 oryxes on WAnimals
Mammals · Artiodactyla · Bovidae
Oryx beisa
At very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.
It has a unique brain-cooling system: it chills the blood flowing to the brain through a network of capillaries in the nose, letting it tolerate body temperatures of up to 47°C without brain damage.
Weight
79 kg – 210 kg
Size
1 m – 1.2 m
Life expectancy
16 years
Diet
Herbivore
Feeds mainly on plants.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Herd
Lives in large groups as a strategy against predators.
Sources consulted: BioDB · Animal Corner · Samburu National Reserve · Animalia.bio · Safari Partner · MpalaLive · San Diego Zoo · African Wildlife Foundation
Best time: All year round in the arid savannahs of the Horn of Africa; it is easiest to see in the dry season, when it gathers near waterholes.
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Beisa Oryx — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
The beisa oryx is classified as endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 8 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Based on what we already know about beisa oryx.
