Why it represents the country
The Arabian oryx is widely regarded as Qatar's national animal, although no law naming it has been found. It is known in Arabic as al-maha, and its image is used throughout the country. The best-known example is Qatar Airways, whose logo shows the head of an oryx with its long, straight horns.
When Doha hosted the Asian Games in 2006, the official mascot was an oryx named Orry. Several other countries on the Arabian Peninsula also treat the oryx as a national animal, which shows how closely the animal is tied to the history and landscape of the whole region.
The oryx is admired because it survives where very few large animals can. It lives in hot, dry desert with almost no surface water, and people of the Arabian Peninsula have long respected it as a symbol of endurance and grace.
About the animal
The Arabian oryx is the smallest of the oryx antelopes. Its coat is almost pure white, with dark brown or black markings on the face and legs. Both males and females have long, thin horns that are nearly straight and can be more than half a meter long. Seen from the side, the two horns can line up so closely that they look like one, which may have helped inspire old stories about the unicorn.
The white coat is an important adaptation. It reflects the strong desert sunlight and helps keep the oryx cool. Young oryx are brownish and turn white as they grow.
Oryx can go for long periods without drinking. They get much of their water from the plants they eat and from dew, and they feed mostly in the cooler hours of night and early morning. During the hottest part of the day they rest in the shade of trees or scrape shallow hollows in the ground to lie in. In droughts their bodies can cut water loss and energy use sharply, and herds may travel long distances to reach places where rain has fallen and fresh plants are growing.
Oryx live in herds, usually of about ten animals or fewer, though much larger groups have been seen. A female gives birth to a single calf after a pregnancy of about eight months, and the calf is weaned at around four and a half months. Oryx can live for about 20 years.
Conservation
The Arabian oryx is one of the great recovery stories in conservation. Hunting wiped out wild herds across the Arabian Peninsula, and by the early 1970s the species was extinct in the wild. It survived only because people had captured a few animals and kept them in private collections and zoos.
In 1962, a project known as Operation Oryx collected some of the last wild animals and started a captive breeding herd at the Phoenix Zoo in the United States, joined later by animals from other collections. The herd grew, and from 1980 oryx were released back into the wild, first in Oman and later in Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
In 2011 the Arabian oryx became the first animal to move back to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List after once being listed as extinct in the wild. It is still listed as Vulnerable. Wild herds remain small and depend on protected areas, careful management and protection from illegal capture and hunting, and thousands more oryx live in reserves and breeding centers in the region, including in Qatar.
Fun facts
- The Arabian oryx became the first animal to return to Vulnerable status on the IUCN Red List after once being extinct in the wild.
- The mascot of the 2006 Asian Games in Doha was a cheerful oryx named Orry.
- Seen from the side, an oryx's two straight horns can line up to look like a single horn.
Frequently asked questions
What is the national animal of Qatar?
The national animal of Qatar is the Arabian oryx (a widely recognized national symbol, not set by law). It is a white desert antelope with long, nearly straight horns, and the logo of Qatar Airways shows the head of an oryx.
Which country has the Arabian oryx as its national animal?
The Arabian oryx is the national animal of Qatar. The same species is also the national animal of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The Arabian oryx is also known as white oryx.
Why is the Arabian oryx the national animal of Qatar?
No law naming it has been found, but the Arabian oryx, known in Arabic as al-maha, is used throughout Qatar, from the Qatar Airways logo to Orry, the oryx mascot of the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. It is admired because it survives in hot, dry desert where very few large animals can, and people of the Arabian Peninsula have long respected it as a symbol of endurance and grace.
Is the Arabian oryx endangered?
The Arabian oryx is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It was extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but after captive breeding and releases it became, in 2011, the first animal to move back to Vulnerable after once being listed as extinct in the wild.
Where does the Arabian oryx live?
Gravel plains and sandy desert of the Arabian Peninsula.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica. Arabian oryx.
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Oryx leucoryx (assessment 2017).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
