# An "extinct" animal is being reintroduced to the Sahara

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-extinct-animal-is-being-reintroduced-to-the-sahara/1025372>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 3, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-extinct-animal-is-being-reintroduced-to-the-sahara/1025372 "2025-12-03T19:44:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-extinct-animal-is-being-reintroduced-to-the-sahara/1025372/1 "2025-12-03T19:44:56Z")

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I find the idea of reintroducing endangered or nearly extinct animals to an area to help it grow again.

> **[The 'extinct' antelope bringing hope in the Sahara Desert](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20251202-the-extinct-antelope-bringing-hope-in-the-sahara-desert)**
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> The scimitar-horned oryx has been brought back from extinction through captive breeding. Conservationists hope it could help slow the spread of the Sahara Desert.

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-extinct-animal-is-being-reintroduced-to-the-sahara/1025372/2 "2025-12-03T20:59:16Z")

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That makes it sound like some Jurassic Park magic. They could’ve just said “[extinct in the wild](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinct_in_the_wild?wprov=sfla1)”.

(Edit: Wasn’t trying to be pedantic… was just surprised at first, like “oh wow, genetics has come that far?” only to be disappointed by the clickbait… Still glad they’re being reintroduced, though.)

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**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-extinct-animal-is-being-reintroduced-to-the-sahara/1025372/3 "2025-12-03T22:08:07Z")

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Welp they _ARE_ trying to do that too, or have already allegedly succeeded, with the quagga, for one.

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**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-extinct-animal-is-being-reintroduced-to-the-sahara/1025372/4 "2025-12-03T23:38:52Z")

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I had a toy plastic one of these when I was a kid.

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**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-extinct-animal-is-being-reintroduced-to-the-sahara/1025372/5 "2025-12-03T23:42:09Z")

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> [@John\_DiFool](#):
>
> Welp they _ARE_ trying to do that too, or have already allegedly succeeded, with the quagga, for one.

I’d heard it was the dire wolf that had been brought back 😜