Arabian oryx wildlife sanctuary

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Former Arabian Oryx wildlife sanctuary
UNESCO world heritage UNESCO World Heritage Emblem
Arabian oryx, Abu Dhabi, WesternRegion.jpg
Arabian oryx
National territory: OmanOman Oman
Type: nature
Criteria : (x)
Surface: 2,750,000 ha
Reference No .: 654
UNESCO region : Arabic states
History of enrollment
Enrollment: 1994  (session 18)
Deletion : 2007

The game reserve Arab Oryx from 1994 to 2007 by the UNESCO -listed site of the world natural heritage in Oman .

background

The Arabian oryx ( Oryx leucoryx ), also known as the white oryx, is a species of antelope that was originally found in the deserts and semi-deserts of the Near East . But it was hunted so heavily that in 1972 there were no more wild animals. In the early 1980s, animals from zoos in the USA were reintroduced to the wild in several states in the Middle East , the first in Oman in 1982.

registration

The wildlife sanctuary of the Arabian oryx was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 based on a resolution of the 18th session of the World Heritage Committee.

The entry was made on the basis of criterion (x), then still referred to as criterion (iv) for natural heritage, which is aimed at the most important and typical habitats for the in situ conservation of biological diversity on earth.

Protected area

The protected area covered an area of ​​2,750,000 hectares. It extended over the hills on the coast and the desert adjoining the interior to the east of Haima in today's al-Wusta governorate .

Due to the seasonal fog and the morning dew , a unique desert ecosystem has formed here in which various, sometimes endemic, plant species grow. In addition to the released Arabian oryx, other rare animal species live in this area, including the Nubian ibex ( Capra nubiana ), the Arabian wolf ( Canis lupus arabs ), the honey badger ( Mellivora capensis ) and the caracal ( Caracal caracal ). The area is home to the largest wild population of the Edmigazelle ( Gazella gazella ). In addition, the bustard ( Chlamydotis undulata ) only breeds in this area in Arabia.

Deletion

In 2007, at its 31st meeting, the World Heritage Committee decided to remove the Arabian Oryx wildlife sanctuary from the World Heritage List. This was the first ever deletion of a World Heritage site from the World Heritage List. The state of Oman had unilaterally reduced the size of the protected area for oil production by 90%, which, in the opinion of the World Heritage Committee, destroyed the outstanding universal value of the site. The World Heritage Committee saw poaching and habitat loss as the main cause that the Arabian oryx population had dropped from 450 animals in 1996 to 65 animals and only four pairs remained.

Web links

  • Arabian oryx wildlife sanctuary on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d UNESCO World Heritage Center: Arabian Oryx Sanctuary . In: whc.unesco.org. Retrieved April 26, 2017 (English).
  2. ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Decision: CONF 003 XI. In: whc.unesco.org. Retrieved April 7, 2017 .
  3. ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Decision: 31 COM 7B.11. In: whc.unesco.org. Retrieved April 7, 2017 .
  4. ↑ UNESCO World Heritage Center: Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary: first site ever to be deleted from UNESCO's World Heritage List. In: whc.unesco.org. June 28, 2007, accessed April 26, 2017 .

Coordinates: 19 ° 50 '  N , 57 ° 18'  E