THE SHOMARI RESERVE
The Shaumari Reserve was created in 1975 by the Royal Society
for the Conservation of Nature as a breeding center for
endangered or locally extinct wildlife. Today, following breeding programs
with some of the world's leading wildlife parks
and zoos, this small, 22-square-kilometer reserve is a thriving protected environment
for some of the most rare species of
animals in the Middle East. Oryx, ostriches, gazelles and onagers, which are
depicted on many 6th Century Byzantine mosaics,
are rebuilding their populations and reasserting their presence in this safe
haven, protected from hunting and habitat destruction
that nearly wiped them out.
The Oryx can often be seen roaming freely in the desert grassland,
and the Ostriches, Gazelles and Onagers can be observed
in their enclosures. Shaumari's breeding enclosures provide a small "zoo" for
visitors, making the reserve a popular spot for children and school outings.
 Wild Life The Shaumari area once contained an abundance of large animals,
including Gazelles, Oryx, Onager, Ostrich, Cheetah,
Hyena and Wolf. While most of these animals have disappeared from Shaumari
altogether, some are now a part of the
pioneering wildlife re-introduction program.
Visitors' Center Shaumari's visitors' center contains a small museum holding
interactive materials, slide shows, and videos on the
history and wildlife of the Reserve. A playground and picnic area is located
on the outside premises of the center.
Observation Tower The observation tower provides eager animal watchers with a
perfect location for spotting the Reserve's wild life.
The early hours of the morning are in particular the best for observing the
Oryx in its natural environment.
 The Oryx Story The Oryx, an elegant white antelope, is one of the few mammals
indigenous to the Arabian Peninsula.
It became extinct in Jordan around the 1920s, as a result of the increased
hunting for its meat, coat and horns.
The increasing range and power of rifles compounded by the factor of motorized
vehicles were the key to the
extinction of the Oryx. The last known wild Oryx in the world was killed by
hunters in Oman in 1972.
Fortunately, previous to this unodent, in 1962, the Flora and
Fauna Preservation Society and the
World Wildlife Fund had launched an international rescue effort known as Operation
Oryx. A world
survival herd was established in the USA, with three animals from Oman, one
from the London zoo,
one from Kuwait, and four from Saudi Arabia. This herd increased steadily in
numbers, and the Royal
Society for the Conservation of Nature proposed that the Oryx should be reintroduced
into its native
habitat in the Arabian Desert.
In 1978, eleven Oryx were re-located in Shaumari. The number of
Oryx has now increased to a phenomenal two
hundred! Operation Oryx has been so successful that Jordan now supplies Oryx
to other countries which are
conducting re-introduction programs.
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