Arabian oryx  (Oryx leucoryx)

The Bedouin people of the Arabian Peninsula traditionally hunted Arabian oryx for their meat and hides. The total decimation of the species did not occur until after the Second World War however, with the availability of firearms and motorised transport (5), and the demand for sport hunting (9). The species became extinct in the wild in 1972 when the last recorded animal was shot (8). Following the success of re-introduced herds during the 1990s, poaching once again has become a serious threat (5) and has devastated the Oman population (1).

The rescue of the Arabian oryx began in early 1960s when Fauna and Flora International had the foresight to capture wild oryx and transfer them to Phoenix Zoo in Arizona (8). Operation Oryx, as it became known, succeeded in establishing a large captive herd in the USA that could later be used for re-introductions (5). The first herds were released in Oman at Jaaluni in the Jiddat-al-Harasis in 1982 (8), with more populations subsequently established in Israel and Saudi Arabia (1). Over the years the wild population has grown, and in 2008 was estimated to number 1,100 individuals. The most recent conservation efforts for the Arabian oryx have taken place in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, where a release program that was begun in 2007 has released around 100 animals into the wild. The United Arab Emirates government is also funding re-introductions of this species into Jordan and is also considering releases into Yemen (1). Currently, an inter-governmental body known as The Coordinating Committee for the Conservation of the Arabian Oryx oversees the coordination of conservation efforts for this species within the Arabian Peninsula (1). Despite the unfortunate poaching problems affecting the Oman population, the re-introduction of the Arabian oryx represents a remarkable conservation success story and an example of what international cooperation can achieve.