Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve
| 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 / 19.70000°N 57.00000°E |
Former UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
Official name | Arabian Oryx Sanctuary |
| Designated | 1994 |
| Reference no. | 654 |
Delisted | 2007 |
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]
Species inhabiting the reserve also included the mountain gazelle, Nubian ibex, Arabian wolf, honey badger and caracal.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "Oman eyes boost in ecotourism with new Oryx sanctuary". Arabian Business. 23 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-12-23.
- ^ "Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary : first site ever to be deleted from UNESCO's World Heritage List". unesco.org. UNESCO. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "Arabian Oryx Sanctuary". unesco.org. UNESCO. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
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