GSAP SKILLS Featured Content

Welcome to the GNUSLETTER Special Issue Number 2, which is exclusively dedicated to the Scimitar-horned Oryx. This Special Issue has been produced to celebrate the positive change in status of the Scimitar-horned Oryx on the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM. Scimitar-horned Oryx became extinct in the wild by the end of the 1980s or early 1990s. Animals from the large ex situ population were re-established in fenced protected areas in Tunisia beginning in 1985 and in Senegal in 1998. The programme to reintroduce a fully free-living population in Ouadi Rime – Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve (OROAFR, Réserve de faune de Ouadi Rimé – Ouadi Achim) in Chad began in the early 2000s. The first group of captive-bred Scimitar-horned Oryx was transferred from Abu Dhabi to Chad in March 2016 and placed in an acclimatisation enclosure. Twenty-one oryx were released into the wild in August 2016 and the first wild birth was recorded in September. Eight more releases have occurred and young oryx have been born every year since 2016.

This National Species Conservation Strategy outlines the rich biodiversity of Türkiye, the key threats facing species, the existing national legislation and protected area network supporting conservation efforts, and the activities required to preserve species for future generations. The document presents the outcomes of an expert- led participatory process in developing this strategy. Furthermore, the governance and monitoring structure required to implement the strategy successfully is detailed. The full implementation of this strategy (2023-2032) is of great importance, which will result in positive outcomes for both the biodiversity and the people of Türkiye.