If you’ve spent much time in New Mexico, you’ve seen or know of the striking antelope, Oryx, that roams the deserts and plains. These beautiful grazers have distinct markings, but are most recognized by their long, straight horns that can grow up to 40 inches.
Oryx are much larger than the pronghorn antelope we are used to seeing as we drive through the state. They can grow up to 46 inches in height at the shoulder and 6 feet long and can weigh nearly 500 lbs. They are massive, majestic animals.
Oryx didn’t originate in New Mexico however. They are normally found in the desert, steppe, and savanna ecosystems in Africa and the Middle East. Our very own White Sands Missile Range fits that very ecosystem required to sustain these deserts dwellers, however. So, between 1969 and 1977, the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish released 95 oryx near Red Rock, NM to an experimental area.
Federal law prohibits the release of wild animals from other countries into the wild, so the offspring were taken from the experimental area and released onto White Sands Missile Range.
What was once less than 100 animals has now turned into thousands of oryx in the state and even West Texas.
Annual hunts for the oryx began in 1974 and continue to this day to help control and stabilize the population. Because the oryx is not native to this country, the National Park Service (NPS) is concerned about how this animal affects the native plants and animals of White Sands National Monument. In 1996, the NPS erected a 67-mile (108 km) boundary fence to prevent the oryx from entering the monument.
The success of the oryx in New Mexico is due in part to the abundance of food. In Africa, they eat grasses, forbs, and melons. Here, they feed on desert grasses, yucca, buffalo gourds, and mesquite bean pods. They are especially adapted to desert life and can go a long time without drinking water.
This area also lacks a way to control the population. Lions and other natural predators cull the population in Africa, with only 10% of calves reaching one year of age. In New Mexico, predators like coyotes and mountain lions are not effective at controlling numbers, allowing the oryx to reproduce without restriction.
The oryx have invaded the Southwest United States, and they aren’t even native to this area.
Resources: NMDGF – NPS
