Addax is a species of the antelope whose scientific name is Addax Nasomaculatus. Its status is critically endangered since it is rumored that only about 3 are remaining in the wild. Its habitat is desert which is why it has a highly reflective coat and an ability to extract all water it needs from plants and to conserve that water by excreting dry feces and concentrated urine. Moreover, it has an ability to tolerate a rise of daytime body temperature by as much as 6 degrees Celsius before resorting to nasal panting to cool down.
Addax is a social creature by nature that lives in nomadic herds, ranging from 5-20 members. Each herd is normally led by the dominant male. These animals are not nocturnal however during the hottest times of the summer, they will sleep during the day and forage at night.
Why are they endangered?
Uncontrolled hunting has reduced the species to ranging in only a few remote areas of sand dunes in the desert, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has classified the addax as a critically endangered species since 2000. The number of survivors in the wild is estimated at fewer than 100 animals in Mauritania, Niger, and Chad. However, several hundred addaxes are maintained in American and European zoos and on private ranches.
How to protect them?
The best hope for the species’ survival as a wild animal is the breeding of captive animals and their reintroduction into securely protected areas within their old natural range. Efforts to restore populations in Tunisia and Morocco are underway.
Written by Aanya Chowbey and art by Ishaan Shrimali
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