1978

The Arabian oryx once roamed most of Arabia and the Sinai Peninsula, but by the 1960s, it had been hunted to the edge of extinction. In 1962, a major international effort began to breed Arabian oryx, and the Zoological Society of San Diego became a significant partner in 1972. In 1978, the once nearly extinct species returned to its desert habitat. Four male oryx born at the Wild Animal Park (one seen here in a pre-release paddock) were shipped to Oman and introduced to the species’ native range—the first of their kind to return. Today, more than 370 Arabian oryx have been born at the Park, and 73 of those have gone to Jordan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.