The scimitar-horned oryx, addax and dama gazelle are three beautiful north African antelope that are virtually extinct in their native habitat. These three species have made a remarkable comeback due in large part to the efforts of Texas ranchers who have been engaged in successful captive breeding programs on their lands for years. This was made possible, or more accurately feasible, due to an exemption of some of the burdensome regulations and permitting requirements under the Endangered Species Act. This special rule put in place by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department, basically allowed these three antelope to be bred, raised and freely traded in the U.S. without the USFWD permitting process. This common sense exemption was based on the fact that these ranchers where the ones that had brought these animals back from the brink of extinction. Over the years, with lots of dedication and hard work, the herds had flourished into numbers large enough to provide a diverse stock of animals for reintroduction into their native lands. These programs where successful for one reason, the animals had value in the hunting opportunities created when the management of the herd required animals to be culled. The breeding and raising of these animals is an expensive business and the income generated by hunters is what made the whole enterprise possible. These captive breeding programs have spawned into a $1.3 billon industry and have created thousands of jobs in mostly rural America.
The exemption to the permitting process which enabled these animals to prosper was challenged by animal rights activists and after several years of legal haggling the special rule was ordered removed. Simply put, this ended hunting of these animals, there by taking the incentive out of raising these animals. The added regulations imposed by the Endangered Species Act will in effect force ranchers who have cared for these animals for years, to stop their breeding programs. Many ranchers simply will not be able to afford the cost of the new regulations, in fact, some have already been forced to sell off their herds before the new rules take effect.
What brought these animals from near extinction to the large herds that exist today wasn't federal regulations or animal right activists, it was the private ownership of these species by hard working men and women. It will be a tragedy to watch the demise of these stunning animals because of the misguided ideology of those that have never done a thing to help save these rare antelope. Additional information on what you can do to help can be found at the Exotic Wildlife Association.

By Bill Bechtol