June 28, 2007, Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was the first site ever to be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List. UNESCO's reason for this was the Omani government's decision to open 90% of the site to oil prospecting. The Arabian oryx population on the site has been reduced from 450 in 1996 to only 65 in 2007. Now, fewer than four breeding pairs are left on the site. Gallery References Further reading External links Images and movies of the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) at Arkive Living Desert article Arabian Oryx at Al Wabra Wildlife Preserve Oryx leucoryx on Animal Diversity Web Oryx leucoryx on Mammal Species of the World Arabian oryx Desert fauna Mammals of the Middle East Mammals of the Arabian Peninsula Arabian oryx Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas