The rescue of the Arabian oryx began in early 1960s when Fauna and Flora International had the foresight to capture wild oryx and transfer them to Phoenix Zoo in Arizona (8). Operation Oryx, as it became known, succeeded in establishing a large captive herd in the USA that could later be used for re-introductions (5). The first herds were released in Oman at Jaaluni in the Jiddat-al-Harasis in 1982 (8), over the years the wild population became firmly established and by 1996 numbered over 400 animals (11). Poaching since 1996 has decreased numbers again (5), but the re-introduction of the Arabian oryx still represents a remarkable conservation success story and an example of what international cooperation can achieve.