The
addax (
Addax nasomaculatus), also known as the white antelope, is a species of antelope in the subfamily
Hippotraginae, native to the
Sahara. It is adapted to some of the world's most arid environments and can survive for long periods without drinking water. The addax has a pale coat, distinctive facial markings, and long, spirally twisted horns. It lives in small herds and feed mainly on grasses and other desert vegetation. Once widespread across North Africa, the species has declined drastically because of
overhunting, drought, and
habitat loss, and is classified as
critically endangered by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature. Wild populations are now concentrated in Chad, Mauritania, and Niger. This male addax was pictured in the Safia Acclimatization Station, south of
Dakhla, Western Sahara.
Photograph credit: Haytem Bouchri