Niger’s addax hit by drought & oil

Courtesy of the Sahara Conservation Fund - By John Newby, CEO

November 2010. The failure of the rains in 2009 was a disaster for many parts of the Sahel, with countries like Chad and Niger suffering major crises, widespread famine and loss of livestock.

Although highly adapted to cope with extremes of heat and aridity, desert wildlife, too, suffers when drought is severe and pastures poor in quality and quantity. For the first time in several years our project team in Niger witnessed firsthand the impact of drought on Termit's addax, with several dead animals found. Surviving addax were dreadfully thin and as such at greater risk from other impacts on their survival, such as the exploration and drilling for oil in their Tin Toumma stronghold. The construction of drilling sites and the constant heavy vehicle traffic is keeping the addax out of many key areas of pasture.

Already the indelible and totally inadmissible smudge of oil spills is polluting an environment that has remained pristine since its creation eons ago. On raising the issue with one person, I was told glibly that it didn't matter because it was only a desert!


Another significant impact of prolonged drought or poor grazing on desert ungulates is a reduction in breeding. Not only do pregnancies fall off but foetuses are aborted and young calves abandoned. Luckily, these same gazelles and antelopes seem capable of switching the reproductive process back on rapidly when conditions improve. We sincerely hope to see a bumper crop of young animals following this year's excellent rainfall.


As we recently saw in Chad, not only has the rain brought on a major crop of annual plants but has also kick-started a new age class of perennials that will hope-fully grow rapidly, establish themselves and prosper. Once well established, the tussock grasses and thorny shrubs will often last many years, providing addax and gazelles with food, moisture and even protection when big enough to provide shelter against the wind and sandstorms.

For the first time in several years the drought was too severe for some of Termit's addax, with several dead animals found.

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