Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve was established in 1975 as a center for the reproduction and reintroduction of wildlife threatened with extinction globally and locally, especially the Arabian oryx. It later became the only address and place for safari lovers, which in its content mimics African safari, in order to enjoy watching wild animals and enjoying the wilderness.

Those with a spirit of adventure and a love of exploration in the Shoumari Reserve can observe wild animals and birds migrating from one place to another, where they can also drive around in their cars and camp inside the reserve, a pleasure that can be obtained in the safari project inside the Shoumari Reserve in the Azraq area, which is the oldest natural reserve. In Jordan, you can also see oryx and wild donkeys roaming freely in its vast green lands, and deer can also be seen in the pens designated for them in the reserve.

Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve

Al-Shumari Wildlife Reserve in Jordan is considered the first natural reserve. It was established in 1975 AD. Its area is about 22 square kilometers. This includes desert valleys and the lands of the Hamad. The famous Wadi Al-Shumari is considered the most famous and common in it. The reserve was established with the aim of protecting biological diversity. The reserve includes more than 193 plant species, six types of predators, and many birds. It is also used as a center for scientific research for Jordanian universities related to arid and semi-arid regions.

What does it mean by natural reserve?

A natural reserve is a geographical area characterized by its limited area, where it is used with the aim of preserving environmental resources, protecting them from damage, corruption or extinction, and helping to exploit them well. Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve is considered an example of famous natural reserves, which protect living organisms that are... It is threatened with extinction, in addition to protecting organisms that have become extinct locally.

Where is Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve located?

Al-Shumari Wildlife Reserve is one of the famous and important natural reserves that protects species that are vulnerable to extinction. Its area covers 22 square kilometers, and it contains many features, in addition to the fact that it contains many valleys. It is located in Wadi Al-Shumari, specifically On the map on the continent of Asia in the State of Jordan in the Azraq area in the city of Zarqa, Al-Shamari Reserve is considered one of the most famous reserves located within the State of Jordan. The reserve is also considered one of the tourist places that preserve living creatures from extinction.

Objectives of Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve

Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve was established to achieve several goals, including the following:

• To protect the rich biodiversity within the region, which helps preserve various wild plant and animal species.
• Providing a wide open space for Jordanian universities to conduct scientific research related to arid and semi-arid areas.
• Carrying out the reintroduction of locally extinct and globally threatened wild species, especially the Arabian oryx.
• Implementing a model for natural reserves in areas characterized by dry desert climates in Jordan, and also developing practical methodologies to assist in establishing and managing reserves.

Nature and wildlife in Al-Shamari Reserve

What does the wildlife and natural life look like inside the Shumari Reserve? The reserve contains many types of nature and wildlife and is divided into:

1. The geographical nature, as the reserve consists of desert valleys and Hammad lands. Hammad lands amount to about 35% of the area of ​​the Shumari Reserve, and valleys cover 60% of the area.
2. Plant species: The reserve includes more than 193 species, the most prominent and famous of which are wormwood, calyx, fennel, chamomile, fennel, and sage.
3. Animal species: The reserve contains 6 types of predatory animals, the most important of which are the wolf, red fox, striped hyena, jackal, and wild cat.
4. Types of birds: The reserve includes different and diverse types of bird groups, including the Egyptian lizard, the goshawk, and the osprey.

Resettlement of wild species in the Shumari Reserve

Al-Shomari Wildlife Reserve was established as a center for the resettlement and protection of endangered wild species, especially the Arabian Oryx, which was rescued in an international operation in 1978 AD, through the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, where it was placed in the reserve to preserve its lineage and reproduction. After the operation was successful, 31 Arabian Oryx were released into their natural habitat in the reserve in 1983 AD, and today, the Al-Shomari Reserve has become a home and home for all groups of rare animals in the Middle East, with the aim of protecting them from poaching, habitat destruction, and taking good care of them.

What is the story of the Arabian Oryx in Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve?

The Arabian Oryx, or the elegant white antelope, is considered one of the few indigenous mammals found in the Arabian Peninsula, which has been extinct in Jordan since 1920, due to the many hunting operations that took place for the purpose of obtaining its meat, fur, and horns. The last Arabian Oryx was killed. Known to the world by fishermen in Oman in 1972.

But before this incident, the Society for the Conservation of Flora and Fauna and the World Wide Fund for Nature had begun in 1962 an international rescue attempt called (Operation Oryx), after which an animal herd called the Survival Herd was formed in the United States of America, which contained three animals from Oman. One from the London Zoo, one from Kuwait, and four from Saudi Arabia. This herd contained a significantly large number of oryx animals, and after that the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature suggested that the herd should be returned to its original home in the desert of the Arabian Peninsula.

Indeed, in 1978, eleven heads of the Arabian oryx were transferred to the Shumari Reserve, and their number has now increased to about two hundred. The oryx operation is considered to have been so successful that Jordan is now supplying oryx to other countries, which are also implementing reintroduction programmes.

Fun activities to do at Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve

There are many fun activities that you can do in the Shumari Reserve, the most prominent of which are the following:

• You can ride bicycles through a designated lane to learn more about the reserve and what it contains.
• Hiking, spotting and watching wildlife at Al-Shamari Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Dining in the picnic area, games for families, children and excursions.
• You can also participate in a safari trip that includes visiting the Arabian oryx, Persian wild ass and other wild animals in the Al-Shamari Reserve.

There is some additional information that may interest you about Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve:

• The price of a ticket to enter the reserve for Jordanians is two and a half dinars, for residents of Jordan it is 6 dinars, and for non-Jordanians it is 8 dinars.
• You can make a reservation when going to the reserve through the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature website, and the visitor can also choose the items he wishes to do when registering.

We have presented the most important information that you may want to know about Al-Shamari Wildlife Reserve, as it is considered the first reserve established in Jordan in 1975 AD, and the reserve plays its role in protecting endangered animals.