two dibatag were discovered on the west bank of the river Nile and north of the Aswan Dam in Egypt, suggesting a southward migration of the species in the Predynastic period in Egypt. Nowadays, however, the dibatag has disappeared from the majority of its historical range. From 1985 to 2006, over two decades, the overall decline has been estimated at more than 30 percent of the original population. In the northern Ogaden, the animal has become very rare owing to a high density of human settlements and large numbers of armed pastoralists and their livestock. However, in the southern Ogaden, it is still common due to greater wealth of natural flora and fewer human settlements. Threats and conservation Droughts and habitat degradation are the major threats across the range. In Somalia, conservation measures have been hindered by lack of political stability due to conflicts over two to three decades in the latter half of the 20th century. During this period its habitat was adversely affected by over-exploitation of wildlife, prevalence of weapons and deforestation. In Ethiopia hunting is the most severe threat to the dibatag; locals have claimed that dibatag meat is preferred due to its excellent taste. However its brown pelage and alertness and timidity make hunting for it in dense bushes considerably difficult compared to other antelopes. The dibatag has been identified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). It has not been listed under the Washington Convention (CITES). There are no protected areas in its range. No population estimates or surveys could be made in the three decades from the 1960s to the 1990s due to political unrest and armed conflicts in the areas covering the range. The total surviving population is not known. In 1998, Rod East gave an estimate that the populations must be in only a few thousand given a total remaining range of and a population density of 0.1 to 0.3 per square kilometer. In 2006, the population in Ogaden was estimated at 1,500. The scenario is grim in Somalia: the dibatag have been overhunted, and their habitat faces destruction due to farming practices such as livestock grazing. They are also threatened by drought. It had nearly disappeared from most of the country by the early 1980s. Though locals claimed to have seen it in the central coastal hinterland even in the late 1980s, no clear