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Shaumari Nature Reserve Blogs

At the request of the US Forest Service International Programs office, a delegation from the Phoenix Zoo has been invited to the Shaumari Nature Reserve in Jordan’s Eastern Desert to conduct health exams on the Arabian oryx herd (approximately 30-40 antelope). In addition to their work with the Arabian oryx herd, Zoo staff will also examine many of the other large mammals managed by the reserve, including gazelles, ostrich, hyenas, roe deer and onagers (wild donkeys).

Arabian oryx were proclaimed extinct in the wild in 1972.  Ten years prior to this, three of the last remaining oryx were removed from their native range in an effort known as “Operation Oryx.”  These animals were brought to the Phoenix Zoo in 1962 where they were joined with six others acquired from private owners.  These nine oryx formed what was called the “worlds herd.”  In 1978, the Phoenix Zoo donated four oryx from their collection to the Shaumari Reserve in Jordan to begin their breeding program.  In 1982 the world’s herd had grown large enough to reintroduce some of the oryx back into their home range so they could once again exist in the wild. The Zoo is proud of its role in this effort and considers the 7100 alive in the world today (6000 in managed populations, 1100 in the wild) to be our greatest contribution to global wildlife conservation to date.

The team from the Phoenix Zoo consists of Dr. Gary West, DVM, ACZM, Executive Vice President for Animal Care and Management; Dr. Julie Swenson, DVM, Staff Veterinarian; and Dan Subaitis, Director of Animal Management. They are traveling with representatives from US Forest Service International Programs office, Natasha Marwah, Middle East Program Specialist, and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) in Jordan. Dr. Julie Swenson will be updating us on their travels on this blog, so stay tuned for some amazing adventures and spectacular photos from the Phoenix Zoo team!

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