Six species of antelope - the dorcas gazelle, dama gazelle, slender-horned gazelle, Cuvier’s gazelle, addax and scimitar-horned oryx - call the Sahara Desert of North Africa their home but all have become endangered and one species, the scimitar-horned oryx, has gone extinct in the wild. These antelope are called the Sahelo-Saharan antelope named after the Sahara Desert and its southern border the Sahel, a dry grassland. The Sahelo-Saharan antelopes are keystone species in the maintenance of plant and predator diversity in this region. They have disappeared due to habitat loss, competition with domestic livestock, and especially over-hunting.

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, is working with and supporting organizations such as the Saharan Conservation Fund and other zoos in the conservation of Sahelo-Saharan antelope and wildlife. Ed Spevak, Mammal Conservation Program Manager, is the AZA species coordinator for the Mhorr and Addra Gazelle Species Survival Plan (SSP) (which are subspecies of dama gazelle) and the Scimitar-horned Oryx SSP. He also advises the addax SSP. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is also committed to conservation in this region through its cheetah programs and sand cat research, species which are both native to the Sahara. This initiative is focusing initially on the countries of Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Mali, Niger, and, Chad and working with others on training local staff in wildlife management and husbandry, educating local people, conducting habitat censuses, and supplying animals from zoos for reintroduction to areas where they have already disappeared.