Decorative Oryx
by Jean Noren
Title
Decorative Oryx
Artist
Jean Noren
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Oryx from Africa were introduced to New Mexico in the early 1970s. They have done well 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. Lions and other natural predators cull the population in Africa, mainly feasting on the calves. In New Mexico, predators like coyotes and mountain lions are not effective at controlling numbers, allowing the oryx to reproduce without restriction. Thousands of oryx reside on the White Sands missile range today. Annual hunts help control and stabilize the population. I have never seen one outside of the zoo but I think it would be exciting to walk over a hill of sand and come face to face with an African mammal. I thought this skull on oour hotel looked cool against the adobe wall.
Uploaded
February 11th, 2019
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