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Oryx small on Blackwood base
4cm Average
101-730 ...... 140 USD
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The Arabian or White Oryx
This elegant antelope is a remarkable resident of the Arabian Peninsula. Hunted to near-extinction by 1972 this black and white desert Oryx is, through the efforts and patronage of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos-bin-Said, once more
The myth of the unicorn has been attributed to the noble Arabian Oryx, probably from the fact that young captive animals used to have their horns bound together and would thus grow as one.
With an even white coat, black facial markings and deep brown lower limbs, both sexes are long-horned with large hooves that are well adapted to their sandy desert habitat.
Arabian Oryx feed largely on coarse grass but in the absence of green grazing they will turn to Acacia foliage. Of all the hoofed animals, the Arabian Oryx is the only one that can eat the otherwise poisonous wild Conocinthus desert melon. Its juicy flesh provides an abundant source of moisture for the Oryx, renowned for its ability to survive in hot, dry areas without drinking fresh water for months.
The Oryx moves around in a closely -structured herd of 12-15 animals. When grazing, the dominant male is always at the rear, immediately behind any female with a newborn calf while females without young tend to lead the grazing herd. Mature but subordinate males range further from the herd, usually on its flanks, but their movements are influenced by the sexual state of the females and the proximity of the dominant male.
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