Extinct in the wild… THIS is why we STILL love going to the zoo

Dublin Zoo has no doubt been celebrating all month following the birth of a male scimitar-horned oryx – a species classified as extinct in the wild.

The adorable baby was born on December 8th, and brings the herd total to four.

With his long legs, big beautiful eyes and gorgeous colouring, the youngster is simply eye-catching – and that's even without the magnificent horns that will develop as he grows. And we CANNOT wait to pop in to see him! 

Sadly, this type of animal, which was once widespread across Northern Africa, has gradually disappeared from the wild due to overhunting, habitat loss and competition with domestic livestock.

The species have now been classified as extinct in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as there has been no definitive evidence of their presence in the wild for more than 15 years.

However, for the past three years, Dublin Zoo has financially supported the reintroduction programme for the scimitar-horned oryx in Tunisia. Through conservation breeding programmes, zoo-bred oryx have been reintroduced into semi-wild areas in four national parks across Tunisia. Currently there are over 200 oryx in such semi-wild areas.

G'wan, Dublin Zoo!