The Arabian oryx is a beautiful antelope that has specialized in surviving (and living) in the desert. It has also been part of the list of species that are close to extinction, along with many other wild inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula and the Sinai Peninsula.

The good news is that since 2011, it has been considered to be a species that has finally reached the “vulnerable” level, which was a great step forward considering that it used to be a critically endangered species.

The reintroduction and reproduction programs for this oryx in captivity began in 2007 and since then, they have been deemed successful. According to the last reports drafted, there are about 1,220 wild oryxes in the Arabian Peninsula. That means that this 4-legged friend is close to being upgraded once again, now to the near-threatened species level, and one step further from the danger of extinction.