The South African oryx or Gemsbok, a large desert antelope native to Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, was introduced into White Sands Missile Range in the neighboring Tularosa Basin during 1969, in hopes of attracting big game hunters and increasing state income from sales of hunting licenses. Oryx numbers quickly grew to about 3,000 and their range expanded into San Andres National Wildlife Refuge as well as adjacent areas. By 1997, at least 50 oryx inhabited the refuge, successfully competing for scarce resources with bighorn sheep and mule deer because oryx need little or no water to survive, getting their moisture from the plants they eat. Except for calves, the oryx is too large to be preyed on by mountain lions and other local carnivores.
