Work to protect the once-threatened Arabian oryx from extinction has been praised by conservationists.

The Arabian Oryx, one of the largest desert mammals in the Arab region, has been an important part of the Arabian heritage throughout the history. Also known as wild cows, Arabian Oryx are large antelopes that weigh between 80 to 100 kg and stand nearly 1.5 metres high at the shoulder. Both male and female Arabian Oryx carry long and slightly curved horns with sharp edges which they use to protect themselves against enemies.

The oryx is among the animals thriving at Sir Bani Yas Island in UAE nature reserve. It is home to one of the largest populations of the animal in the world, with a herd of about 500 free to roam the sanctuary.The oryx is just one of several species that have been brought back from the brink of extinction at the reserve, which is off the Abu Dhabi coast.There are 25 species of mammal and 170 different types of birds, making a total population of 13,000 animals at the 1,400 hectare reserve.The sanctuary was an initiative of the UAE?s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed, who started bringing animals to Sir Bani Yas in 1971.

The National Forum for the Conservation of Arabian Tahr has begun in the capital with the participation of conservationists and Arabian tahr biologists from the UAE, Oman and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN.

The two-day forum, held under the patronage of Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, aims to promote national collaboration towards species conservation through the involvement of relevant institutions on a national level.

The main objectives of the Forum are to provide these institutions with an overview of the In- and Ex-situ population status within the UAE and provide a platform to share information and lessons learned in ex-situ species management, including animal husbandry, captive breeding programmes and animal health issues. It also aims to initiate the process of developing a National Population Management Strategy and identifying possible re-introduction sites within the UAE and discussing the issues regarding these sites and the processes to be followed.

The animals once roamed most of the Arabian Peninsula but rampant hunting meant for many years they survived only in captivity.

The last wild Arabian oryx is believed to have been shot and killed in the Omani desert in 1972.

They were taken off the global list of endangered species in 2011 following international breeding programmes, and are now classified as vulnerable.

To maintain balance in the Arabian oryx population, four cheetahs – which were also once indigenous to the region – were introduced to the island in 2008, and the first cheetah cubs were born in 2010.

The wildlife park is also home to non-indigenous animals, such as the scimitar-horned oryx, the reticulated giraffe and blackbuck antelope

Our overall vision is to restore the Arabian tahr to its suitable habitat within its former range in the mountains of the northern UAE to balance ecological, cultural and heritage values through raising awareness of Arabian tahr by the successful conservation introduction on Sir Bani Yas Island," said Dr. Shaikha Al Dhaheri, EAD?s Executive Director, Terrestrial and Marine Biodiversity Sector and Chairman of the Arabian tahr Steering Committee

Source https://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395275611484.html/ http://www.thenational.ae/uae/environment/20150204/arabian-oryx-thriving-at-abu-dhabi-sanctuary