Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve
Animal sanctuary in the Omani Central Desert and Coastal Hills
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve, formerly called Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, is a nature reserve in the Omani central desert and coastal hills. In a much larger form it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. On 28 June 2007, it became the first site to be removed from the World Heritage Site register.[1] UNESCO cited Oman's decision to reduce the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary by 90% after oil was found at the site, and the decline of the Arabian oryx population from 450 individuals in 1996 to 65 in 2007 as a result of poaching and habitat destruction. At that time, only four mating pairs remained.[2]
| Wildlife Reserve in Al Wusta | |
|---|---|
| |
 Interactive map of Wildlife Reserve in Al Wusta | |
| Location | Al Wusta Governorate, Oman |
| Nearest city | Duqm |
| Coordinates | 19°42′0″N 57°0′0″E |
Former UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Official name | Arabian Oryx Sanctuary |
| Designated | 1994 |
| Reference no. | 654 |
| Delisted | 2007 |
Species inhabiting the reserve also included the mountain gazelle, Nubian ibex, Arabian wolf, honey badger and caracal.[3]
