Scaring Oryx

The next weekend I rushed to find Neron horns. I didn't feel right to take them off the fresh corpse, so I thought I'll let the worms do the cleaning job.
when I got there I've found to small pieces of bone and a leg.
nothing else.
the transmitter was about 1000 meters from there, and torn apart.
I think and the unlucky wolf that from all available pieces of Oryx took the transmitter. Anyway - no horns.
Death is for the dead, Life to those who live.
a group of 7 was found in a place I never seen Oryx before - they just don't stop to explore.
Next day, in the eastern population, AA joined me and we found a group of 5. Not wanting to make them run across the border to their certain death, we went around - and scared them west.
then we wanted to go west ourselves. So we went around, and met them again. A fast reverse, and around another mountain. There there are again. Another mountain - guess who's there !! The sticky leaches. 5 times we met them while trying to avoid them. I started to think they are chasing me :).

Eventually I saw him lying under an Acacia tree
I thought it's the usual case, no need to worry but
on the other hand it seemed, it's completely not usual
didn't get up when I approached
and not when I got closer,
by the way that he was lying
it couldn't be mistaken,
he knew better days
he was a leader at his time
I'll remember him standing on that hill
he was a desert legend.
Neron Neron.

Lazy me. Can't be bothered to update my blog.
it's just that I get no feedback so I'm not encouraged to write on.
your fault, of course.
there were plenty of adventure in the land of the white Oryx in the past 2 months. You can count on me that I manage to
get into trouble more frequently than I wish to.
like that time I received signals from place which is really hard to reach, and I decided to get as close as I can and then walk. This is what I usually do, but that time it meant going in a wadi which is quite hard, and where I damaged the car about 2 years ago trying to go through. At the time, I was happy to just damage the car. I was close to dumping it and walk away. I vowed not to go there again, but this time I decided that I'll just go until it starts to get hard.
so I did. On the way, there was a short and steep ascend. Not easy to pass but not something I haven't done before.
4WD low, 1st gear....... and the wheels just dig in the ground. Second try...... same.
so I reverse the 2 meters. Alas, the angle is too steep, and the car is long. The towing hook on the back of the car get stuck in the ground.
I try putting rocks under the wheels and go forward, but the car just dig them away. There is no forward, and there is no reverse. The car is stuck rather deep in the ground.
luckily, somebody forgot a shovel in the car.
luckily, I wasn't alone.
;LUCkily, we managed to dig it out.
unluckily, it was too late to go to look for the white monsters, who are responsible for all this. I know they did it on purpose.
but some time later, in the eastern side of the kingdom, I received signals from the female Tini, and she was alone.
I went to have a look, and there she was, with something brown next to her. Abdul, the first baby in this herd was born !
(Baby Oryx are brown for their first two months of living, and got perfect disguise. Afterwards, they turn white and shiny and can be seen from miles)

Next weekend I couldn't wait I went there on Thursday,I picked up G. and we went to look for Tini and Abdul. Getting closer, I turned around a hill, and I was staring directly in the eyes of Garus ( a male), who turned and run away, picking Tini with him and the both vanished in the last rays of light. I assumed that they left Abdul in the bush.
Friday I found Tini with a large herd, a few km from there, no Abdul in sight. I went to the place I saw her the day before,
(which was where I saw Abdul for the first time) full of worries about his fate. I've found no sign of any predator around, and no pieces of prey. The chances of finding any evidence for what happened to poor Abdul are really weak. Non where found.
the next day I went to find the last two Oryx I haven't seen the day before - Sati & Sola. After getting to magnificent places I never been before, I got to a hill where I could see Sati, peacefully grazing, and another male laying under a tree.
an ideal couple indeed. From that spot I could see another group, 6 Oryx about 3 km away from that couple. S &T who joined me got all the Oryx they ever dreamed on.
suddenly, while moving the telescope from one group to the couple, I saw a brown movement.
Abdul came out of the bush.
I saw him.
T saw him.
S didn't make it. Abdul was told to get back to the bush.
what was he doing with Sati ? I don't know. Maybe she was babysitting.
the next week Abdul was with the same couple again.
Did I ever mention that my hypothesis is that the Arabian Oryx is a mad cow ?

Sola, on the other hand died somehow next to the Jordanian border. A Jordanians Officer handed over her transmitter and ear tag. May she enjoy forever in the Oryx heaven, or at least reincarnate in a least endangered species.

to end this all is a better mood, 2 more baby Oryx were born in the western population. It also took me to some wonderful places to see them.

I forgot how sneaky these Oryx may be, after the success of last week.
I went to see them again. This time I was alone. I tried a new way. The new way goes through the land of the Red pirate, and his signs are everywhere. "No Entry" they say.
"Danger" they claim. But a true Oryx tracer shall not fear. "Privet area" the sign say.
O.K, i said to my self. I promise not to take the area, not even a single stone. "Intruders will be prosecuted" the sign goes on. Well, go find me in the desert. And in i went. The red pirate was not at home. In fact, his town was deserted. A weird ghost town in the middle of nowhere. There was a tower in this town, and i climbed it.
A faint signal came from the west. But no car tracks to the west, and i try my best not to make new ones. So i tried to go around. i found a strange phenomenon. There was no connection between the map i had, the GPS coordinates and the actual view surrounding. After a few times of trying to use these tools i gave up, and find my way through tracks in the field. The way took me north, and then, through a beautiful wadi to the west. No sign of an Oryx ever visiting this place though. i found a way going south and up. A quick look at the map- not mentioned. From the top of the hill, i couldn't receive no hint from the Oryx. I realized i went too much to the west. This road i was on seemed to be a good one, and connecting to the one i was on last week. i took it. It went all the way to that road i wanted. i started going east. It was slow, many steep up& downs, and the sun started falling to the horizon in the west.
after a few Km i got to a point, where large boulders blocked the way. I had to pass another 3 Km to get to the point where i was last week, and i knew the way from there is sweet. But never the less, i had to cross that point. I stepped out of the car, and saw that a jeep can pass in this point, but not my car. I mean i could pass, but not without damaging the side of the car. i could choose which side to damage, but it didn't matter. By damaging the car, i gonna have a business with Mr. Rafi Azulai (on the right). No one wants to have trouble with Mr. Rafi Azulai, and i was avoiding meeting him for the last 2 years. He knows my name, though, and that's another reason why i don't want to tell him why & how i jammed the car.
So i went to look around. There was no other way. I tried to move the boulders. They were damn too heavy. i started wondering again, how does it always happen to me when I'm alone. But i wasn't alone. There are many gods in this world, and quiet a few in the desert.
A cheerful motor noise came to my ears. This was the sign of the salvation. Two jeeps came out of nowhere. The drivers were totally surprised to meet me there, alone in my sleepers. They helped me maneuver through that maze of boulders. I knighted them on the spot.
there were another problematic spot on the way, and the guys moved rocks and led me through it as well. When i got to that famous-by-now spot where i was last week, i could sense the Oryx were near. But no enough. The sun has just touched the horizon, it was time to give up and go to drink a beer in the warm pool of Shitim.

Next morning i had Ar. & Ut. joining me. Having kings of this magnitude with me made sure everything would go smooth. 13 Oryx in the east, another 6 in the west (plus 5 wild ass just near them) and tales about what is expected at the end of time, at 12.12.2012. Ar. comes from Atlantis, so he knows.

These sneaky, sneaky delusive creatures, thought they'll get away with it. The little cows, little white sneaky mad cows. No,not this time.
Not again shall i walk on vain.
Cliffs were climbed, paths tracked, leads were followed, thorns avoided. Thought they'll sneak their ways out of Assafistan. But i followed them. To the edges of Oryxia they went. Yet i walked after them.
They sent signals north, then west, then east again, sent me running up and down mountains as if I were a mare rabies fox. But no escape. No escape for the white double-horns. Not this day. Freezing winds they sent to stop us, wild horses to confuse are minds. A pair of vicious mad crews, sharp thorns, nuclear mines. But non could stop us. After 5 hours of constant walking,
determined as ever, E & me got a good eye sight of these 7, and quite a lousy picture.
In order to understand what exactly happened, I need to take you to last week events, a day after the eastern Oryx group, lacking the 2 males and one female which mysteriously disappeared, where sighted at their usual abode.
After a nice ride with N. In my car and her parents following in their car, we reach a point where few Oryx were to our south, i what assumed to be a walkable distance, and few in unknown location to the north. N. parents decided they had enough, and have to leave. They took N., left me some vegetables, and drove away.
I decided that south it we'll be. Not an easy decision, as going north may be to a new location where i never seen Oryx before. But south i walked. After a while, I met a single female Oryx. She didn't get confused, and run away immediately. i was surprised to see a female Oryx on her own, and wondered whether they are more around.
a not-too-weak signal from the receiver implied that there is another female around.
Did I mention that the Oryx are delusive, and they're signals are not to be trusted.
I walked down stream and west, more and more, and then had to climb more and more up a steep mountain, till i got to the edge of a high cliff, and there she was, the second female. Alone as well, miles from her friend. From such a distance, the Oryx thought I might be an Oryx as well - at last the white cloths prove efficient- and walked a bit towards me. Then, she started to make signals with her head and walk the other way. I said, sorry babe, it's too late for me. Too late i was. The sun was setting and i had to rush. Some how i got the tendency of getting to the most remote places when I'm alone. I've located a transmitter of a dead Oryx from that mountain, which reminds me of the week before that one...

wasn't so sure where to go, i followed a road threw a wadi I've been a week before (see below, the last post). Since i was in a low narrow wadi, i had to stop once in about 1.5km to sniff around. And i one point where i stopped, while passing through the presets on the receiver, just to get to the Oryx i wanted, i got signals from an Oryx i didn't receive for a few months, and thought the transmitter was dead. It wasn't the transmitter that was dead. FHI had a history of getting into trouble.
She got her transmitter when she was found entangled in a parachute.
The signals of death came from a narrow wadi, about 500 meters from where i was,
no signs to what had led the beast to such an end.
Don't think that this is the rate the Oryx die, it's just that in the past few weeks i got lucky in finding radio-collars that's was assumed lost.
anyway, it was too late to search for the Oryx, but we met them on the way back, in the last rays of light, not close to where we were looking for them.
Did I mention they are sneaky creatures ?

This weekend has started with a message in my cell-phone. "Give me a call" said G, the ranger who works at the eastern side of my kingdom.
So i did.
"A funny story" he said. "One of the Oryx came back to the breeding center (HAI-BAR)"
I couldn't see what's so funny about one of the 2 males that carry a transmitter, going back to the closed reserve. i guess he just had enough - must have thought "fuck it, I'm out of here, all day long looking for food, loads of scary creatures are always around, you have to walk miles for a drink - better off in the breeding center where you get breakfast to bed, and loads of Oryx-chicks as well. I'm going back !"

at the time, i was on my way to the western land, where after not-a-long walk I've seen an Oryx lazing in the sun, enjoying the warm winter sun. He wasn't alone, and soon after he spotted me and stood up, the rest of the gang showed themselves, and fled as fast as possible. The poor Oryx had some strings messed-up on his rear foot,
Hope it won't bother him.
the next morning i had a little deja-vu. "Give me a call" said the voice of G on the answering machine. I did.
" another Oryx male Oryx has showed up in the breeding center, this time with no transmitter."
it's just female #4 that i can't find anywhere. Been all around the region. No trace.
excellent view points, but not a single beep. 8 of the group in one place, 6 on the other. 2 had enough of living in the wild but no sign of #4. Hope she's not a Jordanian Shishlik.
while looking for her, i had to through a strange village. The gate was locked so i had to press the button and ask for someone to come and open the gate. The person wants to know why. It's a long story, and not really a believable one. "looking for oryx in the desert ?" i didn't really expect a reply, always surprise when people buy the story, but it's too long to explain in a walkee-tolkee. They are nice people in this bizarre village .
but no lost Oryx.
A beautiful desert sunset. It's time to go home.

Hi, sorry for not writing for so long. i know that for some of you this blog is a sign of life from me, to know that i wasn't eaten by a wolf, trampled by a camel or swallowed by a snake. So to keep the reverse order of this blog, I'll start from my last visit to Assafistan and go back in time.
last Friday i got signals from 5 Oryx from an area i haven't been in for a very long time. The road leading there is not an easy one, and is going through a wadi where receiving signal is impossible. The roads leaves the wadi and then descends sharply into a plateau. Going down there was possible, i wasn't sure I'll be able to climb it back with the car, thou. Since i didn't get any signal from the Oryx, and definitely no signal from the south, where that road leads, i decided to leave the car there, and pass the mountain chain a bit north to that spot. The climb up was no problem. And from the summit i could faintly receive a signal from... the south. Going down from the other side was a little tougher, i had to go north and go through a steep wadi full of boulders until i reached a narrow wadi that led back south. This wadi took a few turns and in one of them i met a male Ibex. The ibex seemed very surprised to see a human in this place. I was very surprised to see an Ibex there, as there are not many- if at all -reports of Ibex in this place. The Ibex choose to react in the default way - run away. But ibex is not the issue. For seeing Ibex all i need to do is to walk 3 minutes from my house. Ibex are no excitement. So i kept on, and i start receiving stronger and stronger signals which led me more and more south. Then i met a group of 6 wild ass . The wild ass is a relaxed species. The looked at me for a while, and then started walking in the direction of my path. i kept walking and the stopped to look at me again. Decided to run, then thought about it again and decided not to, that I'm, more interesting to stare at. Then, from a near by wadi, 3 more wild ass joined the 6 and they all stared at me for a while until the 3 felt less safe and returned to the wadi they came from, but climbed a hill to make sure I'm not sneaking back on them.
not far away, chewing shrubs in the late afternoon sun, stood 7 of my most beloved Oryx. As i had to climb a hill to get a better view whether there are more of them , they saw me. Now i was standing on a hill, with 9 wild ass and 7 Oryx looking at me, i tell you, it's been a while since i got so much attention from wild life. i think i blushed.
the time was late. i had a long walk back to where my car was (i hoped, you never know if you'll find your car when you return, one of the professional risks).
but then i did something that i haven't done for a very long time. i tried to receive a transmitter that is was on an Oryx who died more than a year ago, and only once i got the death signal from it's collar, and since then i couldn't receive it. i thought it was lost in the last years flood. I've already gave up hope but in that place, where i never been before, I've decided to try and receive it. Did i mention one needs a good intuition in this job ? Sure enough, i got a very strong signal. Of course, from the other direction that i had to go. But I've found the transmitter about 500m from that place. A short search around and i had it's 2 horns and skull.
now it was definitely a good time to walk back. The way led me just under the legendary Mt. Sinai (some believe) - i had to leave the place before some god leaches on me and give me commandments- i had too much to carry anyway. A long way back, to climb that road i didn't want to go by car. As the last rays of light decayed, I've reached the car, that to my surprise, was still there.
so, i had:
1 Ibex
9 Wild ass,
7 Oryx,
2 horns,
1 skull,
no god at all.

Next morning i went to visit the eastern population.
i received 8 from one spot, 2 from another direction. So i had to see how many in each group. The 8 where in a wadi with dense vegetation. i just couldn't see all at once and count. i went closer and closer, disguised as an Oryx with white clothes and me field telescope as a horn. Walking slowly, from shrub to shrub, i got to about 30 meters from them. They saw me, but couldn't decide what to do. Eventually they all gathered, i could count 10 of them. But the were frequently looking back, as to check with their friends. So i walked away, to the place they came from, to see whether there's another one. Suddenly, 3 Oryx passed by running, and all the group run away eastward. i went back to the car and drove around to find the other 2 Oryx that i received earlier. Apparently, one of them already joined the group of 13.
just when i came to see whether the last one is alone, She run away and joined the big group, now 15. They kept on walking fast eastward, and then 3 turned south. After a while a forth Oryx followed out of the vegetation and after the three. When seeing where they where going, it went back to the big group. The 3 continues south, to a barren place where you cannot find a single plant.
I tell you, this Oryx are mad cows .

The week before...
This delusive beast... walked 4 hours and they were not seen. Got to amazing places though, but my ears froze from the cold wind. No luck Today.
Saturday morning , i met a single male on the road. As expected, he run away.
2 females where in another location, a beautiful dry waterfall and excellent scenery,
but to get there i had to drive through the remaining of an air-force bombing. Beat me but i can't tell how i made without a flat-tier. i took away about 8 parachutes, the local "natural" enemy of the Oryx.
Only 3 Oryx this time.

And a week before that...
A personal record of no. Of Oryx seen in one day was broken. The Eastern group with 16 heads, after about 5 minutes of search. That the way i like it. Enough time to ride west. About an hour later i sneak behind a group of 9 Oryx, scare them and walk away. i didn't mean to scare them, of course. In matter of fact i even left my sandals behind and walked barefoot on the sharp flint and chalk just to be as quite as possible, but in vain. The saw me and went away. But i saw what i wanted and still had enough time to search of some more- and i found. i saw 4 Oryx from a distance, next to a hill. There was a probability that there are more behind the hill, so i climbed a near by mountain to get a better view. The wasn't a better view so i walked on the mountain s to try to get a better angle, but the closer i got, and better angle i gain, the sun got a better angle on me, so after about 2 hours of climbing up and down i find my self staring at the setting sun and trying to identify Oryx. They were still 4. The sun was setting, had to go back before it gets dark and i won't find my way down the mountain.
so in total, 29 Oryx in one day. i call this a harvest.

Long time no update, I know you can hold your breath no longer...
I had a short vacation, a little infection, but there is no excuses for Oryx trackers so two weeks ago, i threw a spare wheel in the back of truck, and south i went, to the land of the wild Oryx.
I'm an addict. i admit. 2 weeks without visiting Assafistan make feel strange. Farther, i don't have a clue where the white beasts might be hiding. But a familiar beep from my receiver gave me the impression it won't be hard to find the first group.
an hour later 5 Oryx were running away after they saw my car before i saw them.
i followed them to make sure where they are going. They relaxed in a near by wadi and continued a bit south where food is more abounded.
an hour later, in a different place, a lone male didn't get excited at all, and kept on eating peacefully.
night is falling quickly in this side of the globe so i retired to my winter shelter,
where there is always something happening and always good food. Most convenient,
this place is situated just between West Assafistan and East Assafistan, and it's the only human settlement in an area of about 1600 sq. Km.
Next morning was the time to visit the eastern Oryx population.
they decided to behave nicely, 16 of them together and looking happy.
i went back west, and tried to catch a glimpse of an Oryx who probably was on the move. i walked and walked, climbed mountains and crossed rivers, been to amazing places, but at the same time the Oryx was going farther, and i couldn't get to see him. As the sun was falling, I've walked back.
on the way back i found a cave. I crawled in, and find myself peering into a demon eyes. The demon took the shape of a gecko, but I'm sure it was a demon.
I got the hint and went straight back to the car, to have a sunset meal before rolling back home.

The more I look on Oryx, the less I understand them. Friday, G. joined for a ride. We saw 4 Oryx peacefully walking northward. Then, they met another 3 in the wadi, as if they set an appointment. Maybe i can find the frequency they transmit this information. "Oryx 3 to Oryx 7, meet me next to the third tree in the 2nd wadi".
the 7 Oryx continued walking north, with one of the males suppressing the other.
The next morning they were 15 in about the same location. ("Hey, we found a great spot with juicy trees, come join").
I like it when the Oryx so well behave that i can see them all at once, without wracking the car by climbing mountains. I've checked in the afternoon, the were still together walking east... towards the Jordanian border again.
I've rushed east as well, to bypass them and make sure they won't become a traditional Jordanian dinner. In one point I've stopped to check on them again but ooops... there was no Antenna in my car. I've searched my memory and found out the last time i remember i had put it on the roof of the car.
Last time i did such mistake the receiver crashed, and it took 6 month and 350$ to get it back from repairs. Not that it was fixed, i run around like an idiot in the desert the whole day, not receiving any Oryx till i found out the receiver didn't work properly.
at the time, my i came shivering back to my boss, with a package of chocolate-chip cookies as a bride. Yet he was quite understanding. It happened to him once as well.
so this was the second time it happened to me, but luckily, the receiver wasn't harmed.
I've seen that the Oryx didn't decide to immigrate at this stage, and went to watch the amazing winter sunset.

Hi, I've change the name of the Blog because I've found out that "Chasing Unicorns" is a name of a popular poem and some other stories. Since scaring Oryx is what I practically do, I find it a more suitable name.

By the way, you can add comments now by clicking on the "comments" link below every post. Please comment as you like, it gives me the feeling that somebody bothers to read all I write.

This is a good month in this region. Many vacations that allow me to take the vehicle for some long weekends in my kingdom. So I did, leaving home on Wednesday, and in my mind the idea of getting a few radio collars that are lying in the desert for some time. These collars belonged to Oryx that decided to die in remote places, which are accessible only by foot. Evening comes fast these days, so not much happened before it got dark and I headed towards Gidronpur- my sleeping site & summer capitol of Assafistan.
A look southeast conformed what before was a vicious rumor.
The signs were clear.
The writing was just there on the wall.
It could not be mistaken.
EL - SHARKIYA, the eastern wind, with clouds gathering in the southeast.
Rain in coming.
When the rain comes from the east, it's not only rain. It's flooding. In the desert, the rain that comes down doesn't get absorbed in the ground. It all accumulates and comes to the main wadies, causing amazing flooding.
Was that the moment I’ve been waiting for ?
To see the flooding of the mighty Paran ?
Every year, when such a flooding occurs, the Paran is unreachable because of flooding in other wadies that prevents access to Paran.Is a flooding to come, I’m there to see it and I can't come back until it's over - just perfect. The only problem with flooding is for those that happen to be inside the wadi when it comes. To these unfortunate souls who are in the right place but in a very wrong time, there are usually no problems anymore.
But for the fortuned souls who happens to be just above the wadi in time of flooding- the most spectacular sight is promised.

Anyway, there were only clouds at the time.A few hours later, the first drops came. I've rushed everything into the car, but that was it. No heavy rain- no flooding.

The next morning was still cloudy. In order for a flooding to start, it doesn't necessary need to rain in the same area.
Rain can fall down in distance regions and the water comes flashing down the wadi. The collars were on the other bank of the Paran wadi in a cliffy part. Therefore I hesitated whether to go and search for them. But suddenly the clouds disappeared and it became another normal hot day. So I went for it. It was a beautiful walk, and I didn't need to do too many ups & downs till I got to the collar. It was near a hyena lair, with many skulls and bones around. There were skulls of Ibex, Camal, and the poor old Oryx that his collar brought me all along.
The way back to the car seemed a lot longer, I've suspected somebody moved it just to have a laugh.

Friday was very successful; I've found a group of 2 Oryx getting suntan in the main Paran wadi, another single male Oryx who, upon seeing us (Me & N. who was there all along) climbed a hill to make a show off. I think he had his eyes on N., and to avoid conflict, we went away.
In the afternoon we went on to find the rest on the population. On the way, we met G. an old desert dweller, and his mate M.
G. & M. are amateur archaeologists that were looking at a pre-historic site when we met them. They joined us in the search of the living Oryx. Walking with archaeologists is a different adventure. Every 10 meters or so they stop and admire a piece of rock. When asked, they explain " this is made for worship" "that is used for prayer" "this is a pagan symbol" as if the ancient didn't have anything else to do but worship rocks all day long. Yet we did find some nice rock carving and flint tools. We
Just came to see a pair of Oryx when G.'s mobile rang and scared the Oryx away. It was his daughter from India on the line.
Some weird connection talking with somebody in Rishikesh from the middle of the desert.
We walked a bit farther, climb a hill, came down, climb another, walk down, (M. had enough and walked back) climb the thierd and here they are, 18 lovely Oryx under Acacia trees.
It just become dark when we reached back to the car, M. waited there with tee & dates.

We spent the night somewhere in east Assafistan, and first thing in the morning saw 2 groups (7 & 2 Oryx), and spent the rest of the day searching for the rest, got to weird places, climbed mountains but didn't find a trace. So I got a mission for the coming weekend.

This weekend was a long one, as a holiday came on Monday.
Friday evening i managed just not to see a big group, as it was getting dark too soon. We spent the night at Gidronpur, my summer capital. This time I. and best-of-dogs S. joined me. Some time at night S. Started chasing something. Seconds after, on a nearby hill, a dark shade of two canine figures stood out. S. was one of them. We called her back, and turned on torch (first time i ever took one to the field with me). a pair of yellow eyes peered at us. Then it climb down the hill, and went directly to the water jerrycan, and started to chew it. It was a white wolf. The white wolves are so rarely seen in this region, that nobody believes they really exist. (including myself, until i saw one).
Wolves are nice. Wolves are cute. Wolves sometimes carry Rabies.
therefore i roared at it and it run away.
Next morning i received a signal of one female Oryx. This is always suspicious,
since the Arabian Oryx, as the name may imply, is a Muslim animal. As such, never a female would walk alone, no accompanied by her husband/brother and on rare Occasion, her son. Therefore, anytime i receive a single female, i know there would be more, and hopefully, a new-born baby Oryx.
So, got closer, parked the car, started walking, and as it more-frequent-than-random happens to me, i got directly on the trail the Oryx went before.
then suddenly i sew one on a hill. The Oryx, on the other hand, suddenly so me. He had a clear advantage, as it only needed to recognize my species, and i need to recognize it's gender. As it recognized me as a clear non-oryx creature, and went away, i followed, and sure enough, there were three of them (yet no new-born). Satisfied we walked back to the car. This all has happened in the western side of Assafistan, in it was time to drive east to meet the other population.

Later in the afternoon, i got to see a big group in a wadi, about 300 meters from where i stood with car. i saw they got frightened, and quickly pulled out my telescope to count them. But contrary to any other observation i saw they started running......... towards me. That was strange. They run full power in my direction, getting closer and closer and i started to be afraid. Maybe the decided to put an end to this weekly disturbance, to group together and kill me with their sharp horns. As they were getting closer quite fast, i made sure i can jump to the car. But the Oryx, a peaceful herbivore, didn't have these vicious plans in mind. Instead, they walked pass-by us. Looking at us from about 3 meters! And kept on walking. 16 of them !
on the way back we saw an eagle-owl- another first-timer for me.
these 16 Oryx broke to a group of 10 and a group of 6 the next day, and i came back without anymore adventures and with no (apparent) damage to the car.

Hardly even started the blog and I'm late in updating it already...
two weeks without extraordinary events, except that for the first time in the area i met a snake, which tried to frighten us by posing its neck as if he was a Cobra. This didn't have much effect since i wasn't really frightened and my friend R. Was frightened anyway by it's presence.
5 oryx in west Assafistan and a group of 16 in east Assafistan was the loot of this time. (the east is the area of the release detailed below, west is where Oryx been roaming for the last three years)
the week after i saw 20 in the west, and a group of 13 + a group of two in the east.

A week after the release, I went looking for the beasts. I received most of them quite close to me at dusk, on Friday, but couldn't see them, I was too dark.
So on Saturday morning I went there again. I started searching for them with the radio transmittor from a low pile of sand, about 5 meters high. Most of them were in the direction of the old enclosure, yet suddenly I heard a sound unmistaken. Sound of death. [here is the time to tell, that all the info. I gain from the radio collars is bip, bip, bip in a constant frequency. If a collar doesn't move for 5 hours, it doubles the frequency, generally means the animal carrying this collar is dead and therefore is called death signal.]
the death signal was weak, and came from the east.
I started riding along the wadi eastward, to find out how did this female Oryx managed to kill itself.
everywhere I stopped to search, the direction was eastward. As I was getting closer to the Arava highway, I thought she might been run-over.
not.
when I got to the highway, the signal came very strong, still from the east.
the border between Israel & Jordan is 500 meter east to this highway. I went there.
for those of you reading this blog, if any, and are not familiar with borders, I shall tell now, that right next to the border fence (you may imagine a huge fence. No it's just four liners of barbed wire.) the is a blurring trail, that keeps track of anything that step on it. Instead of treks of Oryx I found foot treks of a human, that crossed the border to Jordan. I stood there to examine it when an army jeep came streaming towards me, I went toward the jeep and told them- " good timing, I need you to tell me when did this guy cross the border"
the officer looked at me as if I just came from mars. Show me your i.d he demanded, getting out of the jeep with a gun. I did.
on his demand, I told him what I was doing and why I'm there.
I had to repeat the story three times.
every time I'm surprised that people believe I'm trekking Oryx and not accusing me for espionage.
the treks were not new (hoary to the border control !).
but the signals of the dead oryx came not from the wadi, but a bit sideways.
a check from another location confirmed- it came from the Jordanian army post near by. Then I met another Israeli army jeep, with a nice girl who told me she saw the herd by the border the other evening, and 2 oryx - one with transmitor and the other without, crossing the border just next to the Jordanian post.
apparently the Jordanian soldier had a good meal that night, a meal worth 22,000 $ from the flesh of one of the rarest mammals in nature. I don't blame them, they didn't know what they were eating. I just want the collar back.

afternoon I saw the rest -1, 16 Oryx next to the other road. Sat on my car and watched. Except one guy how knew me from before, nobody stopped to look, and missed their once-in-a lifetime chance to see Arabian Oryx in the wild.
summary:
Oryx seen: 16
damage : 2 dead oryx across the border.

Where to start, I'm already a year and a half in this project, so I've got already about 70 adventures to write about. I guess I'll start with last week.
I had 19 Oryx in a re-habituation enclosure. They were brought from the Hai-Bar (a large fenced reserve in Yotveta, near Eilat) where they were born.
before release, it is necessary for the Oryx to get used to the new environment, so they are kept behind fence for a few month. Every time such a release is conducted, our special enclosure keeper is summoned, given water and some money, and left there in the desert for a few months to make sure nobody steals............ The fence.
our beloved enclosure keeper likes his job. He likes it less in summer but we leave him no choice. He loves it although they cut 25% from his salary.

So what we got there is one beloved enclosure keeper , 2 dogs (his dog Pako, and Pakos' dog Punch) in a tent, and 19 Oryx behind a fence. The Oryx are very happy inside the fence, believing it prevents the keeper and his dogs from eating them.
the time was up, and we went to release the oryx. Usually such event is full of VIPs that come to show that they are part of the project, shake hands and take pictures. The release was scheduled to Saturday morning, but in Thursday night (11pm) my boss & me decided it's better to be done in Friday morning. So almost nobody else could come. Releasing Oryx is easy. Just take off the fence and they are free. I guess the Oryx thought "why did it take them so long to bring the pliers ?"
Once the fence was down, the Oryx streamed out, running like hell without stopping. This behavior can be easily explained by the presence of Dr. Roni King, the veterinary. No animal like vets.

as they were running east, we were afraid they would cross the border to Jordan. Cooperating with the local ranger, who scared them by coming with his jeep from the east, they retreated west an relaxed, and started exploring their new environment. They looked like kids in Disneyland- lets go to here - no lets go there - examining all king of army leftovers and checking all the trees they can find.
at Saturday evening I made sure they didn't cross the border yet, and went home.

HI,
My name is Assaf, and I got the best job I ever heard of.
I track Oryx in the desert. This immediately sends my to answer some FAQ:
Q: what is an Oryx ?
A: a picture worth a 1000 words. So here is a whole family of Arabian Oryx.

Q: Why do you track them ?
A: The Arabian Oryx was extinct from the wild in 1972. Since, there is an effort to re-introduce the Arabian Oryx to it's natural habitat in the Arabian peninsula ( in Oman and Saudi-Arabia)
and in Israel. (the links above contains a lot of info about the animal, so is you're really interested in it, surf there. ) anyway, I track them after they are released to make sure that they are fine, to check for birth and death rates, see what they are upto and find their home-range.

Q: how do you find them in the desert ?
A: Every week, armed with a 4X4 pickup truck ,antenna and water, I go to the region they usually wondering in and try to locate them. Before they are released, most of the Oryx were tagged with radio-collars, and I use the antenna to find them.
with out such equipment, it's almost impossible to find (thou intuition helps).

Q: where can I see such magnificent creatures ?
A: in the land of Oryxia, the is a remote kingdom named Assafistan, where the Oryx roam about freely and happily.

Q: Get real, where is it ?
A: since some people got in mind that it's look like a tasty animal, and some people have a weird joy from shooting any animal they see, and the rarer the better, I don't feel like posting the exact location, but I guess that if you follow the blog, you'll get hints. People that know me, know where it is. For the rest,
Assafistan is enough information.

Q: O.k, so once you found them, what do you do ?
A: I write down in my little blue book, where they are and how many of them.

Q: why ?
A: that's the data I need for my M.Sc. research.

Q: who pays you to go travel in the desert, pass through breath taking views,
maintain your own kingdom, watch animals in the wild and conduct your own research.
A: Benon pays.

Q: can I also get such a job ?
A: No. There is only one person who does it, and it's me. Sorry :).