A herd in the desert
In 1963, the year after the zoo opened, Arabian oryx were shipped to Phoenix to start a breeding herd, later known as the World Herd. Two more pairs arrived in 1964, and the herd grew to eleven animals.
Lost in the wild
The Arabian oryx died out in the wild in 1972. The animals kept safe in zoos became the species’ hope of recovery.
A return to the wild
From 1982 Arabian oryx were reintroduced to the wild in Oman. Most wild Arabian oryx today descend from Phoenix Zoo animals.


