Kentucky Zoos, Aquariums and Wildlife

The Addax is a mid-sized antelope perfectly adapted to life in harsh desert landscapes. It is native to the Sahara desert and for thousands of years has thrived in areas where few other species could survive. Because of uncontrolled hunting using modern weapons and habitat destruction by man, the addax population is on the verge of extinction. There are only about 200 remaining in the wild.

Extensive conservation is being done to protect the last remaining wild animals and coordinated breeding of captive herds gives hope for the species' future.

One of the most noticable features of the addax is the face "mask". This distinct white mask runs across the head below the eyes and also around the nose and mouth. The rest of the head is light brown except around the horns which has thicker and darker hair.

Male and female Addax have horns which are slightly spiraled. The Addax also has a thin short tail.

Addax are social animals and usually live in groups of 5 to 20. When Addax were thriving, herds of up to 200 animals would gather at popular feeding areas. Now, with very few animals left in the wild, big groups like this no longer exist. The herd is usually led by one of the older females.

Females give birth to one calf at a time usually in the Spring or Autumn. The female will leave the herd to give birth. Mother and calf will stay apart from the herd for a while often accompanied by the dominant male.