On Thursday 26th January we celebrated Jackson the Addax’s 8th birthday. He lives with Miller who is six years old and they also share a paddock with some of our Rothschild Giraffes.

Jackson and Miller are hugely popular with our zoo visitors as their spiralled horns make them easily identifiable and very striking visually!

But as well as being a handsome duo their role at Flamingo Land is also very important. Critically endangered, the addax is as close to extinction in the wild as it possibly could be and is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). In a 2016 report, the IUCN found in a survey that there were only three of the species in the wild – an alarming statistic that has been attributed to overhunting, habitat loss and fragmentation. It is through global conservation projects such as those here at Flamingo Land that we can give hope for the future of the species both in captivity and ultimately in the wild.

Thankfully there are around 2,000 in captivity in Europe and North America with the plans to reintroduce herds back into the wild in the nearby future.

About Addaxes

Addaxes are a type of antelope that live in the desert and have adapted certain traits to live in such a harsh environment. Adaptations include splayed hooves for walking on sand and they can conserve water by producing highly concentrated urine. Addax antelopes are social animals, congregating in herds of 5 to 20 individuals which provide protection. The colouring of the addax’s coat varies with the season. In the winter, it is greyish-brown with white hindquarters and legs, and long, brown hair on the head, neck, and shoulders. In the summer, the coat turns almost completely white or sandy blonde. Their head is marked with brown or black patches that form an ‘X’ over their noses. Their most notable feature is their curved and spiralling horns which the males mainly use for competing with one another.

Addax mainly eats grasses and leaves of any available shrubs, leguminous herbs and bushes. They will generally stay in one place and only wander widely in search of food. They can track rainfall and will head for these areas where vegetation is more plentiful. However due to their slow movements, the antelope is an easy target for its predators such as Lions, African Hunting Dogs, Cheetahs and Leopards.

During your trip to our zoo you can find Jackson and Miller in our Lost Kingdom.