Category: The Arabian Oryx

Understanding the concept of the wilderness is important to interpret the success of the conservation efforts of the Oryx. Environmentalists must rethink the wilderness and understand its significance in humanity. Willian Cronon, in a discussion on this topic, reveals that humans have inherent desires that guide their actions. Cronon mentions that people can behold the wilderness based on the assumption that it is nature, but rather, they are simply fulfilling their unexamined longings and desires (Cronon 1). In this case, although it might seem like the topic is on conservation efforts and environmentalism, perhaps it is simply the fulfilment of cultural desires. The argument introduces a discussion on the significance of the conservation of the Oryx in Qatar.

“The Oryx is culturally significant to the Qatari population.” Do the efforts to conserve the Oryx focus on the cultural significance or are they environmental efforts? Is there a cultural problematic relationship that characterizes the conservation of the Oryx? It is important to understand the wilderness to comprehend whether conservation only focuses on the Oryx because it is a national emblem. Does the Qatar conservation agency focus on a specific animal (Oryx) or do they truly understand the wilderness in its entirety? Relating the cultural significance of the Oryx to conservation efforts is essential.

At the same time, it is important to examine the improvement or progress made in comparison to the damage. Has the conservation of the Oryx affected the wilderness? For instance, they previously used to live in the wild and contributed to the ecosystem. Now that they are in sanctuaries, have they changed the desert ecosystem or improved the wilderness? Perhaps they were important in the ecosystem and could avoid extinction naturally.

Even so, the wilderness is just one of the environmental concerns. As mentioned in the previous post, several other factors characterize environmentalism and deep ecology. Some of the issues that have merged now include commercial hype and tourist advertising. Conservation efforts not only focus on saving animals from extinction, but also explore commercial interests. Do such interests interfere with conservation efforts? Is it possible to achieve a balance between environmental and economic interests? Relating the cultural significance of the Oryx to monetary interests, helps decipher the future of conservation efforts.

Although conservation relates to environmentalism, it might also be a cultural movement. Would the Qatari government focus on the conservation of the Oryx if it were not a national emblem? The conservation efforts have helped transform the wilderness. Even so, understanding the original state of the wilderness in comparison to what Qatar is recreating in its conservation efforts is important to determine the overall success of the projects. Do the conservation efforts introduce any conflict? Are there any conflicts of interest? Perhaps interfering with the wilderness affects the history of the Oryx and its significance. Understanding all these factors is essential to monitor the success of the conservation efforts and ensure all stakeholders are on the same page.

Works Cited

Cronon, William. The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature.

Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature, New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1995, 69-90

Conservation efforts of the Oryx often encounter both practical and theoretical challenges. Theoretically, there is the issue of deep ecology that affects environmentalism such as the conservation of the Oryx. According to Ramachandra Guha, the central tenets of deep ecology are inapplicable to the Third World. In the context of this discussion, the Third World typifies Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Guha argues that tenets such as the focus on wilderness preservation, anthropocentrism, and biocentrism are only applicable to American environmental and cultural history.

The argument suggests that conservation efforts in Qatar are different from those in America. The cultural context in Qatar is much different from that in Western countries that introduced the theories. The dynamics of environmental conservation are dissimilar in the two regions, which makes the application of the deep ecology theory challenging in Qatar.  For instance, conservation efforts in Qatar might take a cultural or philosophical perspective, unlike in other regions that it might have a spiritual or political inclination (Guha 72). Understanding the different perspectives related to deep ecology is important to interpret the goals of conservation of the Oryx.

Another argument concerns the economic goals of mainstream environmentalism. The blog post previous to this one mentioned a sanctuary in Qatar that helps in conservation efforts of the Oryx and the economic benefits that it accrues simultaneously. Considering that the Oryx is Qatar’s national emblem, there certainly must be political issues surrounding its conservation efforts, which might border on radical environmentalism. In this case, the issue of environmental ethics emerges, which is certainly a topic worth exploring in the context of Qatar.

Certainly, there are multiple perspectives on addressing the issue. Guha’s historical and sociological perspectives introduce interesting insights about conservation. The cultural rootedness of the issue emerges based on the social and political goals of the environmental conservation efforts. For instance, does Qatar apply the sophisticated knowledge of agricultural communities, or does it solely rely on scientific and sophisticated knowledge underlined in the theory of deep ecology? Based on this, it is important to analyze Qatar’s conservation efforts from both a national and international perspective, rather than merely relying on the worldwide tenets of deep ecology. There are different variants of the issue depending on the cultural context and human-nature interactions.

The theory persuades a discussion on the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits of conservation. To what extent does the conservation of the Oryx benefit the Qatari population? What are the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits that emanate from saving the Oryx from extinction? Through this discussion, it is possible to explore the conservation efforts of other flora and fauna and inherently compare their advantages and disadvantages. For instance, is the effort that Qatar places in the conservation of the Oryx more important than that of plants facing extinction? Through this, it is possible to analyze the radical guise and preoccupation of conservation efforts.

Works Cited

Guha, Ramachandra. Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A

Third World Critique. Environmental Ethics, 1989.

The Oryx is a threatened species that the Qatari government places exceptional effort to conserve. For instance, it instituted a captive breeding program to reduce the threat that the animal faced. It is necessary to investigate the efforts of the Qatari government to make conservation efforts successful. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their efforts can help in the conservation of other animals and the efforts of neighbouring countries that also actively engage in conservation efforts.

The research question guiding this research is, “What are the cultural and political issues that define the conservation of the Oryx?” Other guiding questions include, “What are the socio-political challenges faced by conservationists in keeping the Oryx from extinction?” and “To what extent has anthropocentrism shaped conservation efforts?”  Finally, it is important to investigate the effectiveness of collaborative efforts of other agencies involved in the conservation of the Oryx.

The topic is interesting to the environmental humanities because it discusses the conservation efforts of an animal that has undergone the phases of extinction, endangerment, and vulnerability. Environmental humanities explore the ways of life of fauna and the ways in which the state (macro-level) or the individual (micro level), affect the relationship. A research on an important animal in Qatar can help understand the tenets of environmental humanities and its application in today’s society. Finally, it is important to assess to what degree the state or agencies associated with conservation efforts, encourage people to engage with nonhuman species and life. In the case of Qatar, there has not been much discussion amongst the common people in terms of the value of the Oryx or the value of it in terms of nature vs human settlement or engagement. One analysis that stems from this could be the relationship of capitalism and luxury to the average Qatari person. The creations that could be made out of Oryx skin and horns may seem more important to the general public than the conservation and utmost respect to the wildlife.

In this context, the theory of the Anthropocene arises. Humans influenced the near extinction of the oryx and continue to influence their conservation efforts. The Anthropocene characterizes the complexities that exist in nature in today’s human-influenced age (Clark 17). The human society are in desperate attempt to adapt to planetary geology through activities such as the conservation of the Oryx. The Anthropocene is quite complex because it not only examines geological aspects, but also historical and political elements. Cultural and political issues emanate because of the importance of the Oryx in Qatar. For that reason, it is essential to provide an analysis of the relationship and entanglement of the Oryx with culture and politics. There are social and political issues that emerge during conservation efforts, based on the tenets of Environmental Humanities, such as the general idea of the society of the inherit value of nature and politically, what it could possibly mean for different states, specifically neighbouring states, to all be engaged in conservation efforts. Could it be led by competition? Or international recognition? Or is it an internal and local affair and effort? If so, why has there not been much effort from the state to induce the value of the Oryx? Or of all of nature’s wildlife? Or maybe there has, but not to the extent that the matter deserves. Through the previous points, it is possible to understand the threats and opportunities to environmental humanities that emerge during conservation efforts.

The Al Maha Sanctuary (Arabian Oryx Sanctuary) is one of the areas where the Oryx escapes extinction. The sanctuary has saved the animal from extinction because it helps in the reproduction of approximately 90 calves per year (Paramo 1). Apart from the Oryxes, they also keep small gazelles, which affirm that conservation efforts also include other animals. The sanctuary allows visitors to the area, but often under special arrangements because it is a protected area. Still, there seems to be only a few sources online, produced by local agencies, which praise the efforts of the state for bringing back a once extinct animal. Not much discussion revolves around why it led to extinction in the first place (from a human to animal relationship concept) and how we can, in today’s society, encourage and truly understand the sanctity of nature and how to co-exist.

                                                                 Works Cited                     

Clark, Timothy. The ‘Anthropocene’? Nature and Complexity.

Paramo, Adriana. Al Maha Sanctuary. AFAR. Available at https://www.afar.com/places/al-maha-sanctuary-al-rayyan

Qatar E-Nature. Arabian Oryx, White Oryx. 2020. Available at https://www.enature.qa/specie/arabian-oryx-white-oryx/

The Arabian Oryx (White Oryx) is a desert animal that has survived extinction in several instances. Locally known as Wudhaihi (Al Maha), the Oryx has survived the titles of ‘extinct’, ‘endangered’, and ‘vulnerable’ over the decades (Qatar E-Nature, 1). Qatar considers it as the national animal and the 2006 Asian Games in Doha used it as the official games mascot. In addition, the Middle Eastern airline Qatar Airways shows the Oryx on its tailfins. Certainly, the animal is important to Qataris and has a cultural significance. Qatar considers the Oryx as the country’s national emblem, which highlights the need to investigate the efforts of the Qatari government to engage in conservation measures.

The anatomy and morphology of the Oryx is quite spectacular. It has an average height of 1 meter and weighs approximately 70 kilograms. Most of them have long horns that might be as long as 75 centimetres. They are often a luminous white colour with brown undersides and brownish legs. Distinctively, they have a black stripe on the intersection of the neck and head, on the nose, and on the forehead. They often show little aggression to each other, which means they pose no internal threat. Through this, they can herd in their hundreds or thousands without any supremacy battles concerning the dominant male. They prefer feeding in the evening and resting during the day because of the heat conditions in the Qatari deserts. Humans are the main predators of the Oryx, usually in search of horns and their skin. They often engaged in hunting activities that reduced the numbers of the Oryx significantly in the early 1900s. Its only other known predator is wolves. Apart from predators, Oryxes endure the threat of drought, which causes dehydration and malnutrition. Besides, drought conditions introduce the threat of snakes and intermittent flash floods that cause their death or reduce their lifespan. When placed in a safe condition, such as a sanctuary, they average twenty years.

Although the Oryx has largely existed over the centuries in the Middle East, they are most popular in Qatar and gained national status. As mentioned above, sport hunting was the major threat to the Oryx in the early 1900s and significantly reduced their population. What endangered them more was their choice of habitat, which is gravel desert or hard sand, which made it easier for hunters because they were often exposed in the wild. Despite their speed and endurance, they were no match to the automobiles and rifles that Arabian princes and oil company clerks used.

The reintroduction of the Arabian Oryx in large semi-managed populations at several sites in Qatar has increased their numbers significantly. The conservation efforts, including in the UAE and other Middle East countries, have made their numbers rise to approximately one thousand. Effectively, this means that they are now a vulnerable population, and not necessarily extinct.