Wildlife Recovery
Programme

The Fringe-eared Oryx is endemic to Kora, occurring south of the Tana River in Kenya and into northern Tanzania. The species is primarily threatened by poaching and encroachment by settlement and livestock across much of their natural range. The current population of Fringe-eared Oryx is estimated to be extremely low – with only single individuals rarely seen.

The Fringe-eared Oryx (Oryx beisa ssp. callotis) has most recently been assessed for IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2018 and is listed as Vulnerable under criteria A2bd. The population of oryx in Kenya declined steeply from 27,000 individuals in 1977-80 to approximately 5,000 in the mid-1990s (East 1999) and to an estimated 3,400 in 2011-13 (Ogutu et al. 2016). The total population in both Kenya and Tanzania was estimated to be only 4,000-6,000 individuals in 2018.

This programme will use controlled management as a conservation tool by creating a secure, nucleus breeding herd of oryx that can re-populate the surrounding area over time. 

The Trust will work in close partnership with the KWS on the planning and implementation of the programme.