Preservation of the addax

The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) was established in 2004 to address the extinction crisis facing mammals and birds of the Sahara and Sahel.

Through its support to the SCF, Addax Petroleum Foundation commits specifically to the conservation of the addax antelope and more generally to the conservation of deserts and their natural and cultural heritage. The addax conservation project in the Termit/Tin Toumma region of the Niger basin is directly related to finding a balance between social development and preservation of wildlife. The local pastoral population should directly benefit from the preservation of the natural heritage in which it lives. This link is key to the beneficial impact of this project in the long run.

The Termit/Tin Toumma region of Niger harbours the last remaining viable population of addax in the world. Field work carried out by the SCF since 2002 has indicated a population of about 200 animals. Apart from the Niger population there have been only sporadic reports of small numbers of addax in Chad and Mauritania. Outside the Sahara, the addax species is extinct. Its successful preservation would benefit a whole range of desert habitats and species as well as the Bedouin people of the region. The three-year programme, initiated by Addax Petroleum in 2005, includes:

improving biodiversity conservation with special reference to the addax and other endangered species and their critical trans-boundary habitats;
enhancing cooperation and implication of the local population and other partners in the protection and conservation of the region’s biodiversity;
increasing knowledge and understanding of the area’s ecology and biodiversity, and establishing systems for long-term monitoring, research and management;
increasing awareness at national and international levels of the value and importance (ecological, social, cultural, educational, etc.) of the region’s wildlife and natural resources.

Location	The Termit/Tin Toumma region Niger
Objective	To conserve endangered addax and wildlife
How	By supporting the Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF)