Arabian Oryx Reintroduction
Encyclopedia
The Arabian Oryx
(Oryx leucoryx), also called the White Oryx, was extinct in the wild as of 1972, but was reintroduced to the wild starting in 1982. Initial reintroduction was primarily from two herds: the "World Herd" originally started at the Phoenix Zoo
in 1963 from only nine oryx
and the Saudi Arabian herd started in 1986 from private collections and some "World Herd" stock by the Saudi National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC). As of 2009 there have been reintroductions in Oman
, Saudi Arabia
, Israel
, the United Arab Emirates
, and Jordan
, but the IUCN Red List
still classifies the species as Endangered, and it is included in CITES Appendix I.
, drew attention to the fact that each spring, small groups of oryx still emerged onto the gravel plains in the northeast corner of the Protectorate
, where he thought a capture attempt would be possible.
(now Fauna and Flora International), with financial help from the World Wide Fund for Nature
. One of the first captive breeding programs at any zoo, this program had the specific goal of saving and then reintroducing Arabian Oryx in the wild.
The initial plan of the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society was to establish a herd in Kenya
where another species of oryx already lived and flourished. The Kenyan plan was dropped because of an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease
, and the oryx destined for Kenya were shipped to the Phoenix Zoo instead.
Although in hindsight we know that there were actually quite a few potential Arabian oryx in private collections. For instance, the Arabian reintroduction was started with 57 Arabian oryx from the collection of King Khalid bin Abdul Aziz
in Ath-Thumamah, this was not known in 1962, when only 16 oryx were located as possible breeding stock.
There were originally four individuals captured and seven donated for this project. The four were captured in Aden
(now Yemen) near the border of Oman by an expedition led by the late Major Ian Grimwood, then chief game warden
of Kenya, with help from Manahil and Mahra tribesmen. One male from this group later died of capture stress. The seven donated oryx were: one from the London Zoo
, two from Sheikh
Jaber Abdullah al-Sabah, and two pairs from the collection of King Saud bin Abdul Aziz
. One of the oryx from Sheikh Jaber Abdullah al-Sabah died before delivery as well, leaving nine oryx to start the "World Herd."
Five Arabian Oryx were delivered to the Phoenix Zoo in 1963 (four in June and one in September). A baby was born to the herd in October 1963 from a conception en route, and another was born in the spring of 1964, bringing the starting population of the Phoenix Zoo herd to seven. The four oryx donated by King Saud arrived at the Phoenix Zoo in July 1964, bringing the population of the "World Herd" to 11.
The breeding program at the Phoenix Zoo was very successful, and the zoo celebrated its 225th Arabian Oryx birth in 2002. From Phoenix
, individuals were sent to other zoos and parks (including the San Diego Wild Animal Park) to start their herds. Most of the Arabian Oryx in the wild today have ancestors from the Phoenix Zoo.
These oryx became the core of the Oman herd in the wild, though there were several other releases of captive bred animals over the next two decades. The area of their release became the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary
.
On June 28, 2007, Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was the first site to be removed from the UNESCO
World Heritage List
. UNESCO cited the Omani government's decision to open 90% of the site to oil prospecting as the main reason for this decision. The Arabian Oryx population on the site has been reduced from 450 Oryx in 1996 to only 65 in 2007, mostly due to poaching and illegal live capture. There are now fewer than four breeding pairs left on the site.
.
Between the initial 1986 founding and 1996, 33 additional oryx (including some from the "World Herd") have been introduced to the founder generation of Arabian Oryx at the NWRC. Since 1996, all additions to the population have been through births.
Due to an outbreak of Mycobacterium bovis
(Bovine Tuberculosis) in the founder generation, a "buffer generation" was introduced in the herd. Since then, calves produced by the founder herd are removed from their dam immediately after birth and hand-reared. These hand-reared second generation oryx are regularly tested for tuberculosis
and a variety of other pathogen
ic agents, and join the breeding nucleus only when tests are consecutively negative. After breeding, they produce the third generation of oryx, which are tuberculosis free and mother-reared, and of which more than 80% are reintroduced into the wild.
Reintroduction of a wild population began in 1995 in the ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid protected area. The reserve covers about 12000 km² (4,633.2 sq mi) at the western edge of the Rub’al-Khali or "Empty Quarter". As of 2009, the IUCN Red List estimates the oryx population on this reserve at 160 individuals.
A free ranging herd was established in the newly created Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area
in 1989. This 2244 km² (866.4 sq mi) fenced reserve is home to reintroduced oryx, gazelle
and the Houbara Bustard
. As of 2009, the IUCN Red List estimates the oryx population on this reserve at about 800 individuals. There is currently some debate about whether animals in this reserve should be considered "wild."
and the Negev
Desert.
. In 2007 the United Arab Emirates started releasing animals into Umm Al Zumul. As of 2009 there have been about 100 animals released.
As part of this initiative, a similar program is being developed to reintroduce this extinct species into its natural habitats in Yemen and Iraq
.
Since March 1999, Abu Dhabi
has been host to an inter-governmental body known as The Coordinating Committee for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx, which oversees the coordination of conservation efforts for this species within the Arabian Peninsula.
Special Economic Zone Authority signed a sponsorship agreement in April 2007. Under this agreement, EAD is sponsoring the $1.1 million three-year project which includes reintroduction of the Arabian Oryx into the Wadi Rum
Protected Area, rehabilitating the habitat, and helping local residents to improve their living standards.
Twenty oryx were released into the Wadi Rum Protected Area in 2009.
In June 2011, the Arabian Oryx was re-listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List
. The IUCN estimates there are more than 1000 Arabian Oryx in the wild, with 6000-7000 held in captivity worldwide in zoos, preserves, and private collections. Some of these are in large fenced enclosures (free-roaming), including those in Syria (Al Talila), Bahrain, Qatar, and UAE. This is the first time the IUCN has re-classified a species as Vulnerable after it had been listed as Extinct in the Wild. The Arabian Oryx is also listed in CITES Appendix I.
Arabian Oryx
The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium sized antelope with a distinct shoulder hump, long straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of Oryx genus, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian peninsula...
(Oryx leucoryx), also called the White Oryx, was extinct in the wild as of 1972, but was reintroduced to the wild starting in 1982. Initial reintroduction was primarily from two herds: the "World Herd" originally started at the Phoenix Zoo
Phoenix Zoo
The Phoenix Zoo opened in 1962 and is the largest non-profit zoo in the United States. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the zoo was founded by Robert Maytag, a member of the Maytag family, and operates on of land in the Papago Park area of Phoenix. It has been designated as a Phoenix Point of...
in 1963 from only nine oryx
Oryx
Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight...
and the Saudi Arabian herd started in 1986 from private collections and some "World Herd" stock by the Saudi National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC). As of 2009 there have been reintroductions in Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, but the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
still classifies the species as Endangered, and it is included in CITES Appendix I.
Decline of a species
The Arabian Oryx was known to be in decline since the early 1900s in the Arabian Peninsula. By the 1930 there were two separate populations isolated from each other. In 1960, Lee Talbot reported that Arabian oryx appeared to be extinct in its former range along the southern edge of Ar-Rub' al-Khali. He believed that any oryx still existing would be exterminated within the next few years and recommended that a captive breeding program be started to save the species. Michael Crouch, then Assistant Adviser in the Eastern Aden ProtectorateAden Protectorate
The Aden Protectorate was a British protectorate in southern Arabia which evolved in the hinterland of Aden following the acquisition of that port by Britain in 1839 as an anti-piracy station, and it continued until the 1960s. For administrative purposes it was divided into the Western...
, drew attention to the fact that each spring, small groups of oryx still emerged onto the gravel plains in the northeast corner of the Protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
, where he thought a capture attempt would be possible.
Operation Oryx
Operation Oryx was a program of the Phoenix Zoo and the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society of LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(now Fauna and Flora International), with financial help from the World Wide Fund for Nature
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
. One of the first captive breeding programs at any zoo, this program had the specific goal of saving and then reintroducing Arabian Oryx in the wild.
The initial plan of the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society was to establish a herd in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
where another species of oryx already lived and flourished. The Kenyan plan was dropped because of an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...
, and the oryx destined for Kenya were shipped to the Phoenix Zoo instead.
Although in hindsight we know that there were actually quite a few potential Arabian oryx in private collections. For instance, the Arabian reintroduction was started with 57 Arabian oryx from the collection of King Khalid bin Abdul Aziz
Khalid of Saudi Arabia
Khalid bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1975 to 1982. He ruled during Saudi Arabia's oil boom years. In 1979, he had to deal with the Grand Mosque Seizure...
in Ath-Thumamah, this was not known in 1962, when only 16 oryx were located as possible breeding stock.
There were originally four individuals captured and seven donated for this project. The four were captured in Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
(now Yemen) near the border of Oman by an expedition led by the late Major Ian Grimwood, then chief game warden
Game warden
A game warden is an employee who has the role of protecting wildlife. Game wardens may also be referred to as conservation officers or wildlife officers...
of Kenya, with help from Manahil and Mahra tribesmen. One male from this group later died of capture stress. The seven donated oryx were: one from the London Zoo
London Zoo
London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
, two from Sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
Jaber Abdullah al-Sabah, and two pairs from the collection of King Saud bin Abdul Aziz
Saud of Saudi Arabia
Saud bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud was King of Saudi Arabia from 1953 to 1964. He was removed from power by Faisal because of Saud's mismanagement and waste. He was the eldest surviving son of Ibn Saud and became Crown Prince in 1933. He died in exile in Greece.-Early life:Saud was born in 1902 in Kuwait...
. One of the oryx from Sheikh Jaber Abdullah al-Sabah died before delivery as well, leaving nine oryx to start the "World Herd."
Five Arabian Oryx were delivered to the Phoenix Zoo in 1963 (four in June and one in September). A baby was born to the herd in October 1963 from a conception en route, and another was born in the spring of 1964, bringing the starting population of the Phoenix Zoo herd to seven. The four oryx donated by King Saud arrived at the Phoenix Zoo in July 1964, bringing the population of the "World Herd" to 11.
The breeding program at the Phoenix Zoo was very successful, and the zoo celebrated its 225th Arabian Oryx birth in 2002. From Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, individuals were sent to other zoos and parks (including the San Diego Wild Animal Park) to start their herds. Most of the Arabian Oryx in the wild today have ancestors from the Phoenix Zoo.
Reintroductions
Reintroductions started in 1982 in Oman. As of 2009 there have been reintroductions in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. At this time, populations in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan are still not considered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List wild oryx count. The population in Oman is still receiving supplementary forage, and the introduction into Jordan was after the last update of the Red List.Oman
By 1980 the number of Arabian Oryx in captivity had increased to the point that reintroduction to Oman was attempted from the San Diego Wild Animal Park to Jaaluni in the Jiddat-al-Harasis. The oryx were initially kept in large pens outdoors, but were released to the wild on January 31, 1982 in the Omani Central Desert and Coastal Hills.These oryx became the core of the Oman herd in the wild, though there were several other releases of captive bred animals over the next two decades. The area of their release became the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary
Arabian Oryx Sanctuary
The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary is an animal sanctuary in the Omani Central Desert and Coastal Hills. Within its boundaries are found rare fauna, including a free-ranging herd of Arabian oryx, the first since the species' extinction in the wild in 1972, and subsequent reintroduction in 1982 at this...
.
On June 28, 2007, Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was the first site to be removed from the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage List
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. UNESCO cited the Omani government's decision to open 90% of the site to oil prospecting as the main reason for this decision. The Arabian Oryx population on the site has been reduced from 450 Oryx in 1996 to only 65 in 2007, mostly due to poaching and illegal live capture. There are now fewer than four breeding pairs left on the site.
Saudi Arabia
Organized captive breeding of the Arabian oryx in Saudi Arabia began in April 1986, when 57 oryx from the farm of the late King Khalid bin Abdul Aziz in Ath-Thumamah (now the King Khalid Wildlife Research Center or KKWRC) were brought to the National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) near At-Ta'ifTa’if
Ta’if is a city in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia at an elevation of on the slopes of the Sarawat Mountains . It has a population of 521,273 . Each summer the Saudi Government moves from the heat of Riyadh to Ta'if...
.
Between the initial 1986 founding and 1996, 33 additional oryx (including some from the "World Herd") have been introduced to the founder generation of Arabian Oryx at the NWRC. Since 1996, all additions to the population have been through births.
Due to an outbreak of Mycobacterium bovis
Mycobacterium bovis
Mycobacterium bovis is a slow-growing , aerobic bacterium and the causative agent of tuberculosis in cattle...
(Bovine Tuberculosis) in the founder generation, a "buffer generation" was introduced in the herd. Since then, calves produced by the founder herd are removed from their dam immediately after birth and hand-reared. These hand-reared second generation oryx are regularly tested for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and a variety of other pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
ic agents, and join the breeding nucleus only when tests are consecutively negative. After breeding, they produce the third generation of oryx, which are tuberculosis free and mother-reared, and of which more than 80% are reintroduced into the wild.
Reintroduction of a wild population began in 1995 in the ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid protected area. The reserve covers about 12000 km² (4,633.2 sq mi) at the western edge of the Rub’al-Khali or "Empty Quarter". As of 2009, the IUCN Red List estimates the oryx population on this reserve at 160 individuals.
A free ranging herd was established in the newly created Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area
Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area
The Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area is a 220,000 ha large protected area in central Saudi Arabia. The area is totally fenced and protection from livestock grazing has allowed a spectacular recovery of native vegetation...
in 1989. This 2244 km² (866.4 sq mi) fenced reserve is home to reintroduced oryx, gazelle
Gazelle
A gazelle is any of many antelope species in the genus Gazella, or formerly considered to belong to it. Six species are included in two genera, Eudorcas and Nanger, which were formerly considered subgenera...
and the Houbara Bustard
Houbara Bustard
The Houbara Bustard, Chlamydotis undulata, is a large bird in the bustard family.-Description:The Houbara Bustard is a small to mid-sized bustard. It measures in length and spans across the wings. It is brown above and white below, with a black stripe down the sides of its neck. In flight, the...
. As of 2009, the IUCN Red List estimates the oryx population on this reserve at about 800 individuals. There is currently some debate about whether animals in this reserve should be considered "wild."
Israel
In Israel the reintroduction program was established in 1978 when four pairs of Arabian Oryx were purchased. At this time the IUCN Redbook reports wild populations totaling 90-100 animals in 3 locations in Northern AravaArabah
The Arabah , also known as Aravah, is a section of the Great Rift Valley running in a north-south orientation between the southern end of the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea and continuing further south where it ends at the Gulf of Aqaba. It includes most of the border between Israel to the...
and the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
Desert.
The United Arab Emirates
In the early 1960s, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan directed the capture of two breeding pairs of the Arabian Oryx for the nucleus of a captive-breeding program in Al AinAl Ain
Al Ain |Spring]]), also known as the Garden City due to its greenery, is the second largest city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates. With a population of 374,000 , it is located approximately 160 km east of the capital Abu Dhabi and about...
. In 2007 the United Arab Emirates started releasing animals into Umm Al Zumul. As of 2009 there have been about 100 animals released.
As part of this initiative, a similar program is being developed to reintroduce this extinct species into its natural habitats in Yemen and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
Since March 1999, Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
has been host to an inter-governmental body known as The Coordinating Committee for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx, which oversees the coordination of conservation efforts for this species within the Arabian Peninsula.
Jordan
The reintroduction project for Jordan began when the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the Al AqabaAqaba
Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
Special Economic Zone Authority signed a sponsorship agreement in April 2007. Under this agreement, EAD is sponsoring the $1.1 million three-year project which includes reintroduction of the Arabian Oryx into the Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum also known as The Valley of the Moon is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south Jordan at to the east of Aqaba. It is the largest wadi in Jordan. The name Rum most likely comes from an Aramaic root meaning 'high' or 'elevated'. To reflect its proper Arabic...
Protected Area, rehabilitating the habitat, and helping local residents to improve their living standards.
Twenty oryx were released into the Wadi Rum Protected Area in 2009.
Current status
In 1986, as a result of the reintroduction efforts, the IUCN re-listed the Arabian Oryx from Extinct in the Wild to Endangered. By 2009, the Arabian Oryx was protected by law in all areas where it appears.In June 2011, the Arabian Oryx was re-listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
. The IUCN estimates there are more than 1000 Arabian Oryx in the wild, with 6000-7000 held in captivity worldwide in zoos, preserves, and private collections. Some of these are in large fenced enclosures (free-roaming), including those in Syria (Al Talila), Bahrain, Qatar, and UAE. This is the first time the IUCN has re-classified a species as Vulnerable after it had been listed as Extinct in the Wild. The Arabian Oryx is also listed in CITES Appendix I.
External links
- The Arabian Oryx Project (Oman) archive Retrieved 21 June 2011
- The Arabian oryx conservation programme in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Retrieved 21 June 2011
- ARKive Web site (Arabian Oryx) Retrieved 25 September 2009
- International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List Web site Retrieved 25 September 2009