Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, Wildlife reserve in Azraq, Jordan
Shaumari Wildlife Reserve is a protected desert area in eastern Jordan, near the Azraq wetlands, sitting on a flat hammada landscape covered with black flint and crossed by shallow wadis. The reserve holds several animal species, including the Arabian Oryx, the Persian Onager, and ostriches, kept within fenced zones across the terrain.
Shaumari was established in 1975 by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, making it Jordan's first protected area dedicated to desert wildlife. It was created at a time when several native species had been severely reduced by hunting and habitat loss across the region.
Shaumari is closely associated with the Arabian Oryx, an antelope that had vanished from the wild and was brought back through a breeding effort here. Visitors can watch these animals in open enclosures set within a real desert setting, which gives the place a meaning that goes beyond a typical zoo or park.
The reserve sits near the town of Azraq in eastern Jordan and is easiest to reach by car, as public transport options in the area are limited. Visiting in the morning gives you a better chance of seeing the animals moving, as they tend to rest during the hottest part of the day.
The first Arabian Oryxes brought to the reserve in 1978 came from Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, where a global emergency breeding effort had kept the species alive after it disappeared from the wild. Shaumari was among the first places in the world where these animals were released back into a desert setting.
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