The Arabian oryx, Oryx leucoryx, once roamed throughout the desert plains of the Arabian Peninsula. Unfortunately, in the 1970s this species was hunted to extinction in the wild. Humans had exterminated this beautiful and distinctive antelope, which had evolved to exploit one of the world’s harshest environments.
In Saudi Arabia, the restoration of the Arabian oryx is a core program of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development. Concurrent projects for the protection of large areas within the former range of the Arabian oryx, and the captive breeding of oryx at the National Wildlife Research Center in Taif, have together enabled the restoration of the species in the Kingdom.
The website arabianoryx.com is dedicated to informing animal lovers the world over about these magnificent creatures. Arabianoryx.com details the Arabian oryx project in Saudi Arabia, describes major conservation achievements and on-going reintroduction projects, and provides a database concerning the ecology of this endangered desert ungulate species. The website also makes available a detailed bibliography with many downloadable PDF files and more than 80 pictures.
- Arab News WYSIWYG - Online Resources With a Middle Eastern Focus 27 May 2003