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Jordan Tourism Guide |
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Natural Sites |
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 Shaumari
Wildlife Reserve |
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The Shaumari Reserve was created in 1975 by the
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature as
a breeding centre for endangered or locally
extinct wildlife. Today, following breeding
programmes with some of the world's leading
wildlife parks and zoos, this small,
22-square-kilometre reserve is a thriving
protected environment for some of the most rare
species of animals in the Middle East. Oryx,
ostriches, onagers (an Asian wild ass) and
gazelles, which are depicted on many local 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 and onagers can often be seen roaming
freely in their large desert grassland
enclosure, and the ostriches and gazelles can be
observed in their own fenced areas. Shaumari's
breeding enclosures provide a small "zoo" for
visitors, making the reserve a popular spot for
children and school outings.
Wildlife
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 reintroduction programme.
Visitors' Centre
A playground and picnic area is located on the
outside premises of the Visitors' Centre.
Observation Tower
The observation tower provides eager animal
watchers with a perfect location for spotting
the Reserve's wildlife. The early hours of the
morning are in particular the best for observing
the Oryx in its natural environment.
The Arabian Oryx's Story
The Arabian 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
Arabian Oryx in the world was killed by hunters
in Oman in 1972.
Fortunately, previous to this incident, 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 Arabian
Oryx should be reintroduced into its native
habitat in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula.
In 1978, eleven Arabian Oryx were relocated 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
reintroduction programms.
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