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Al Maha Oryx moves to new pastures

DUBAI - The weekend release of the first 23 Arabian Oryx to be allowed into the newly-created Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) marked a historic turning point in protecting the country's natural heritage and wildlife.

The elegant desert antelope, reintroduced into the wild in 1999 as part of a conservation project at Emirates' Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa, have been breeding successfully and have established a substantial population.

Now the first 23 have been released into the 225 sq km DDCR, which protects nearly 5 per cent of Dubai's total land. There to record the event was a camera crew from the BBC TV and renowned British photographer Lord Lichfield, who is working on a new book due for release next year.

As the definitive Dubai photographic record, it is sponsored by Emirates and Jumeirah International to highlight Dubai's diverse wildlife and spectacular urban development.

Al Maha's own herd of Arabian Oryx, now numbering more than 200, have been breeding successfully over the years, and will be progressively released into the surrounding the DDCR.

Eventually all types of animals living in the area will be released into the reserve, but meanwhile Al Maha conservationists are carrying out vegetation studies to determine the total carrying capacity of the newly-expanded site, and stepping up wildlife security and monitoring.

The DDCR, established last year, is protected by a new conservation law signed recently under the Rulers' Decree, making it the country's first permanently protected reserve and largest wildlife sanctuary in the United Arab Emirates.

After coming dangerously near extinction, Arabian Oryx are breeding fast, and today more than 2,000 live in the UAE alone.