Historically, the scimitar-horned oryx inhabited a wide range across North Africa, primarily in the transitional zones between the Sahara Desert and the Sahel, a semi-arid region just south of the Sahara.

The scimitar-horned oryx is an herbivore with a diet that includes grasses, leaves, fruits, and shrubs. Remarkably, the species can survive for up to 10 months without drinking water, relying on the moisture found in the vegetation it eats for hydration.
This species breeds year-round, and females typically give birth to a single calf. As with other ungulates, the newborns can stand and follow their mothers within an hour of birth. By four months, they begin to feed independently. Calves stay with their herds and mature by around two years, with a life expectancy of up to 20 years.

Overhunting and habitat destruction led to the extinction of the scimitar-horned oryx in the wild during the early 1990s. However, efforts by zoological institutions, including Fota Wildlife Park, have played a crucial role in reintroducing the species to national parks in Tunisia, Morocco, and Senegal, with the goal of re-establishing viable populations. An estimated 150 individuals now exist in the wild.

The scimitar-horned oryx has an exceptional ability to detect rainfall from a distance. It can travel up to 80 km in search of fresh vegetation that sprouts after rain.

Fota Wildlife Park has made significant contributions to the species' conservation, including the successful reintroduction of a male born at the park in 2003 into Dghoumès National Park in Tunisia. In the intervening years, he has fathered several calves.
The success of these reintroduction programs in restoring a species to its native habitat highlights the importance of captive breeding.