Welcome to the Herd
Fantastic creatures (and where to find them)
During summer of 2023, Global Wildlife Center welcomed animals from several species and added more endangered animals to the more than two thousand-strong population that calls Global Wildlife Center home. Capybaras, the largest rodents in the world and a close relative of the cavy and the guinea pig, have joined the troop of animal ambassadors at the Visitor Center. Adept swimmers, capybara have something in common with the hippo: eyes, ears and nostrils are all located near the top of the head. So Global’s capybaras like to submerge themselves almost entirely, leaving only their sensory organs peeking above the water to keep tabs on their surroundings. Once the capys get settled into their new home, Global Wildlife Center will be adding a series of capybara encounters, allowing guests to experience these amazing South American natives up-close.
Fun fact: the scimitar-horned oryx is believed to explain the myth of the unicorn; the creature’s horns are so symmetrical that, when viewed from certain angles, it often appears as if they have only one.
A second Sulcata tortoise named Ninja, has joined 8-year-old Gaia in the Visitor Center’s tortoise enclosure. Right now the two are still in the “howdy” stage while they get to know each other. Soon, though, they too will be stars of a growing series of Visitor Center encounters, which Global Wildlife is adding to expand its educational programming. New interpretive signage around the Visitor Center and on the safari wagons made possible by the Louisiana Office of Tourism adds another dimension.
A new herd of scimitar-horned oryx has recently joined the safari herd at Global Wildlife. Named for the striking, scimitar-shaped horns that sweep backward from the head, this species of oryx was once widespread across the sub-desert belt of Northern Africa. But since 2000, the scimitar-horned oryx has been classified by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as Extinct in the Wild, having fallen victim to a combination of overhunting, drought, excessive grazing and habitat loss in their native range. Today the Government of Chad and the Environmental Agency-Abu Dhabi are working in conjunction with Sahara Conservation to reintroduce scimitar-horned oryx to Chad from captive breeding programs, and have had ongoing success in reaching their goal to reestablish a population of 500 oryx living unassisted in the wild. If Chad’s oryx reintroduction program is successful, it will serve as an example of how captive populations can be used to re-establish wild populations, thus enabling the conservation of a species from extinction.
Fun fact: the scimitar-horned oryx is believed to explain the myth of the unicorn; the creature’s horns are so symmetrical that, when viewed from certain angles, it often appears as if they have only one.