| Arabian Oryx Sanctuary | |
|---|---|
| Location | Oman |
| Coordinates | 19°42′0″N 57°0′0″E / 19.70000°N 57.00000°E |
| Area | 27,500 km2 |
| Established | 1994 (to World Heritage List) (the site is not legally protected) |
Former UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Official name | Arabian Oryx Sanctuary |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | x |
| Designated | 1994 (18th session) |
| Reference no. | 654 |
| Region | Arab States |
| Delisted | 2007 (31st session) |
The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary is an animal sanctuary in the Omani Central Desert and Coastal Hills. It contains rare fauna, including a free-ranging herd of Arabian oryx, the first since the species' extinction in the wild in 1972 and its subsequent reintroduction in 1982 at this site.
The endangered houbara bustard breeds in the wild only at sites within the sanctuary. Other species found here include the largest wild population of the endangered Arabian gazelle, as well as Nubian ibex, Arabian wolves, honey badgers, and caracals.[1]
On June 28, 2007, the reserve was removed from the World Heritage Site register. UNESCO cited Oman's decision to reduce the site by 90% and the decline of the population of Arabian oryx from 450 in 1996 to 65 as a result of poaching and loss of habitat. At that time, only four mating pairs remained.[2]
See also
- Former UNESCO World Heritage Sites
References
- ^ "Arabian Oryx Sanctuary". unesco.org. UNESCO. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary : first site ever to be deleted from UNESCO's World Heritage List". unesco.org. UNESCO. Retrieved 16 September 2011.