Soldiers assigned to protect the oil wells have been hunting and poaching addaxes.
Here is what we discovered. (Image credit: Chicago Zoological Society.) The addax is a species of antelope. Addaxes are also known as white antelopes and the screwhorn antelopes. They are critically endangered; there may be only three remaining in the wild. Extinction may not be imminent, however; about 2,000 are kept in zoos and on ranches around the world.
What is the habitat of the addax?
The habitat of the Addax is found in arid, sandy & stony deserts. The only known self-sustaining population in the wild is found in Termit Massif Reserve in Niger, but the species is also sighted in the eastern Air Mountains in Niger and Bodeje in Chad. The species has been in constant decline since the mid-1800s as a result of being overhunted.
What is the biggest threat to Addax?
Threats The greatest threat to Addax is a man as locals hunt them without any limits or supervision. Addax are slow moving animals so they are easy targets for hunters in their jeeps armed with modern weaponry. Their habitats are often being destroyed to make more for more farming or residential land.
How close is the Addax to extinction?
The addax is just about as close to extinction in the wild as it possibly could be, and is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. In a 2016 report, the IUCN said a survey had found only three in the wild.