Sahara’s Wildlife Disappearing Rapidly, Researchers Say

Sahara- the world's largest tropical desert- might not look like a cozy place for many, but it is home to some rare creatures that have evolved to live in the arid landscape. A recent study has found that wildlife population in this barren land is disappearing rapidly.

Sahara covers most of North Africa and has an area of about 3.6 million square miles (9.4 million square kilometers). The vast arid landscape is home to many creatures including scorpions, snakes, and rodents.

The study was led by researchers at Wildlife Conservation Society and Zoological Society of London. The research team comprised of 40 authors from 28 organizations. They studied 14 desert species and found that at least half of those were either extinct from a particular region or were confined to a lesser geographical range.

Among the extinct species is the Bubal hartebeest and the scimitar horned oryx. African wild dog and African lions have almost vanished from the wild. Nubian ibex still roams the arid landscape, but is also classified as vulnerable.  The Cheetah and leopard population, too, is dwindling.

The scimitar-horned oryx is a prime example of a species disappearing due to poaching and habitat loss. The beautiful animal only exists in captivity. Its last known photograph in the wild was taken in 1982 by John Newby.

"The Sahara serves as an example of a wider historical neglect of deserts and the human communities who depend on them," said the study's lead author Sarah Durant of WCS and ZSL, according to a news release.. "The scientific community can make an important contribution to conservation in deserts by establishing baseline information on biodiversity and developing new approaches to sustainable management of desert species and ecosystems."

African countries are helping with conservation efforts, researchers said. Niger has established Termit and Tin Toumma National Nature Reserve, a 37,451 square miles territory, to provide shelter to about 200 odd wild addax and Saharan Cheetah. The Chad government is collaborating with various agencies to get scimitar horned oryx back in the wild in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve.