The Wildlife Reserve in Al Wusta (formerly the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary) is an animal sanctuary in the
Omani Central Desert and Coastal Hills. Formerly included in the UNESCO ''World Heritage'' list, in 2007 it became the first site to be removed from the World Heritage list.
Species inhabiting the reserve include the
Arabian gazelle,
Nubian ibex,
Arabian wolf,
ratel and
caracal.
On June 28, 2007, the reserve was removed from the
World Heritage Site register.
UNESCO cited Oman's decision to reduce the site by 90% after oil had been found at the site, and the decline of the population of
Arabian oryx from 450 in 1996 to 65 in 2007 (as a result of poaching and loss of habitat). At that time, only four mating pairs remained.
References
Former World Heritage Sites
Wildlife sanctuaries of Asia
Animal reintroduction
Protected areas of Oman
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