2012Endangered Animals II - First Day Cover

The Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder hump, long, straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, the smallest member of Oryx genus, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but was saved in zoos and private preserves and reintroduced into the wild starting in 1980. In 1986, the Arabian oryx was classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and in 2011, it was the first animal to receive Vulnerable status again after having been listed as extinct in the wild. It is listed in CITES Appendix I. As of 2011, populations were estimated at over 1000 individuals in the wild, and 6000 - 7000 individuals in captivity worldwide.