AMMAN - The Arabian oryx is expected back in its natural habitat in Wadi Rum next year, thanks to a pioneering project to reintroduce the internationally endangered species to be again part of the country's wildlife.
The Sheikh Mohammad Ben Zayed Al Nahayan project for reintroducing the Arabian oryx to Wadi Rum started after the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency last Tuesday, under which the agency will be sponsoring the $1.19 million scheme, head of the Nature Conservation Department at Wadi Rum Nature Reserve, Jamal Zaidaneen, said on Wednesday.
The three-year project entails several components, including the reintroduction of the Arabian oryx into the Wadi Rum Nature Reserve, rehabilitating the Arabian oryx habitat and helping local residents start income-generating projects to improve their living standards.
Director of the Wadi Rum Nature Reserve Khalil Abdullat told The Jordan Times on Wednesday that the pilot project is the first to be implemented in the Middle East and is expected to help boost the reserve's tourism revenues.
The project's first phase includes designating a 21-kilometre fenced area, where the animals will be set loose, Zaidaneen said, explaining that the herd needs first to adapt to its new environment, climate and plants.
"There is no time frame for this stage, but it is expected to extend over two to three months, during which the oryx will be given the time to adjust to their new habitat which will ensure its survival chances," Zaidaneen added.
The Arabian oryx is a medium-sized white antelope, with black patches on its face, and dark legs. It stands about one-metre high and has two gently curving horns, which are about 50 centimetres in length, according to web sources.
The population of this desert animal began to decline due to overhunting in the mid-19th century and by 1914, few survived outside Saudi Arabia.
Modern firearms and four-wheel-drive vehicles accelerated the decline of the species, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Zaidaneen said the construction boom, which damaged the habitat of the Arabian oryx and reduced the amount of the green landscapes, had further negative impact on the rare animal's existence.
By the 1960s, oryx only survived in the wild on the border where Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman meet, and in the Wahiba area of northeast Oman.
Zaidaneen said the last Arabian oryx seen in the country's wild was in the 1930s, while conservation specialist at the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) Nashat Hmeidan said it was last spotted in 1966, when it was found shot.
Twenty animals will be flown from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar, Zaidaneen said, adding that the environment and climate of these countries is similar to Wadi Rum, which will raise their survival chances.
These animals, which form the first and main herd, will be released early next year into the wild and will be monitored by satellites which will follow their movement and behaviour.
"Under the second phase, satellites will be installed to monitor the herd. The Arabian oryx walks around 60 kilometres daily looking for food; using this advanced technique will save us time and effort and ensure the animals' safety," Zaidaneen noted.
The third phase includes bringing another 40 heads, in two batches, to be also released into the Jordanian wild.
Similar attempts were seen in previous years seeking to reintroduce the endangered animal to Wadi Rum, but results were not encouraging. On one occasion, the RSCN, in cooperation with ASEZA brought around 10 heads of the Arabian oryx from Shomari Wildlife Reserve near the northeastern town of Azraq to the southern Wadi Rum Reserve.
"Some animals died: either they fell over heights, or simply due to the difference between Wadi Rum and Shomari environment and climate," Zaidaneen said.
Meanwhile, Hmeidan said the Arabian oryx is an animal known internationally as extinct in the wild and only exists in captivities.
There are around 45 animals in Shomari, built in the 1980s as the sole nature reserve homing Arabian oryx in the country. Wadi Rum is currently home to a male, female and a newborn Arabian oryx, he added.
By Hana Namrouqa
© Jordan Times 2008
