Wildlife Reserve in Al Wusta
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The Wildlife Reserve in Al Wusta, formerly the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, is a nature reserve in the Omani Central Desert and Coastal Hills. In a much larger form, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, but in 2007 it became the first site to be removed from the World Heritage list.[1] On June 28, 2007, the reserve was removed from the World Heritage Site register. UNESCO cited Oman's decision to reduce Arabian Oryx Sanctuary by 90% after oil had been found at the site, and the decline of the population of Arabian oryx (a kind of antelope) from 450 in 1996 to 65 in 2007 as a result of poaching and habitat destruction. At that time, only four mating pairs remained.[2]
Species inhabiting the reserve also included the mountain gazelle, Nubian ibex, Arabian wolf, honey badger and caracal.[3]
References
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