In 1972, the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) was declared extinct in the wild. The last confirmed wild individual had been killed in Oman’s Empty Quarter. One of the most elegant large mammals of the Arabian Peninsula — pure white with long straight horns, adapted to the most extreme desert conditions on Earth — had been hunted to nothing.
What happened next is one of conservation’s most important success stories. A small breeding programme in US zoos, using animals that had been transferred from the wild decades earlier, maintained a genetically diverse population. In 1979, four oryx arrived at Shaumari Wildlife Reserve in eastern Jordan, beginning what would become one of the world’s first successful wild reintroduction programmes for an extinct-in-the-wild species.
Today, more than 200 oryx roam Shaumari’s 22 square kilometres. The species has also been reintroduced to Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The global wild population now exceeds 1,000 individuals, and the IUCN has downgraded the species from Extinct in the Wild to Vulnerable — one of the only species to have made that journey. Shaumari is where it started.
The animals
Arabian oryx
The oryx are the defining reason to visit Shaumari. At close range — which the safari truck achieves regularly — they are surprisingly large (adults stand about 1 metre at the shoulder), almost entirely white with contrasting dark legs and facial markings, and move with a characteristic slow dignity that suits their desert-adapted physiology. They are not aggressive towards vehicles and do not spook easily at the safari truck — the result of decades of human proximity in the reserve.
Their straight horns, which can reach 75 centimetres in adults, appear to merge into a single horn when viewed in profile — the probable origin of the unicorn legend in the ancient Middle East. This is not a tourist-board invention; it is a widely accepted explanation with some etymological support.
Persian gazelle (Goitered gazelle)
Smaller and more numerous than the oryx, the Persian gazelle herds at Shaumari number in the dozens. They are more nervous than the oryx and move faster when the safari truck approaches, but the flat terrain of the reserve means they are reliably visible even at distance.
Ostrich
The Arabian ostrich (Struthio camelus syriacus) was hunted to extinction in the wild in the mid-20th century. The Shaumari population is a sub-Saharan African subspecies introduced as the closest available relative. They are the world’s largest birds — adults can reach 2.7 metres and 150 kilograms — and their presence in the eastern desert landscape is genuinely striking.
Onager (Persian wild ass)
The onager (Equus hemionus onager) is the wild ass of the Middle East — faster than a horse over short distances, and historically impossible to domesticate despite repeated attempts. The Shaumari population is reintroduced; the species is classified as Endangered globally due to habitat loss in its native Iran and Central Asia. In the reserve, the onager herds are visible from the safari truck and represent one of the less-known but equally significant aspects of Shaumari’s conservation programme.
The safari experience
Shaumari does not permit self-guided hiking inside the main animal enclosure — the reserve operates an open-air safari truck that takes groups of visitors on a circuit through the reserve.
Duration: Approximately 1-1.5 hours per safari circuit.
Vehicle: An open-air truck (think basic game-drive vehicle, not luxury safari standard) with bench seating in the rear. Bring sun protection — there is no shade on the truck.
Wildlife viewing: The guide drives the established route and uses experience to locate the oryx and other animals. Given the flat terrain and the relatively small size of the reserve, finding oryx is not difficult — typical sightings include 5-30 individuals at a time. Close approaches (within 20-30 metres) are regularly achieved.
Photography: The flat landscape and relatively tame animals make Shaumari one of the more photogenic wildlife reserves in Jordan. A 200-400mm telephoto lens works well for tight shots, but the standard zoom range is sufficient for record shots at the distances typically achieved.
Entry fee: Approximately 25 JOD per person including the safari truck. No free-walking option inside the main reserve area.
Booking: Day-visitor safari trips run according to demand — small groups can typically join without booking, but groups of 6 or more should contact the reserve in advance. The reserve can be contacted through rscn.org.jo.
For a desert castles day trip that passes through the Azraq area (near Shaumari):
Amman: desert castles and Azraq Wetland Reserve day tripThis tour covers the key desert castle sites and the Azraq Wetland — and can be combined with a Shaumari visit on the same day, since the reserve is 2km from Azraq. For a nature-focused version:
History and nature: Azraq Wetland Reserve and desert castlesLocation and getting there
Shaumari sits in eastern Jordan, in the Badia (steppe-desert) region near the town of Azraq. It is approximately 110 kilometres east of Amman — about 1.5 hours by car.
From Amman: Take the Zarqa road east then follow the Azraq Highway. The reserve is signposted from the Azraq junction. GPS coordinates should be used for precise navigation — the reserve entrance is on a road between Azraq town and the Shaumari village.
Combined with Azraq Wetland Reserve: The two reserves are adjacent — Azraq Wetland is literally next door (2 kilometres). Most visitors who make the drive from Amman combine both into a single day. Shaumari in the morning (safari) and Azraq Wetland in the afternoon (birding) is the natural sequence. See /guides/azraq-wetland-guide/ for the Azraq details.
Combined with the desert castles: Qasr Amra, Qasr Kharana, and Qasr al-Hallabat are on the route between Amman and Azraq. A day combining the Umayyad desert castles with Shaumari and Azraq makes a full and compelling eastern Jordan itinerary. See /destinations/east-desert/ for the route.
Public transport: There is no regular public transport to Shaumari. A taxi from Azraq town (itself reachable by bus from Zarqa) costs approximately 5-10 JOD for the short drive. The most practical option is a private car or organised day trip.
What to bring
The reserve sits in flat, open desert. Sun protection is paramount.
- Hat, sunscreen (SPF 50+), and sunglasses — essential in the open safari truck.
- Water: at least 2 litres per person. There is no food or drink service inside the reserve.
- Binoculars: useful for scanning the flat terrain at distance.
- Camera: good for wildlife photography. Bring a zoom lens if you have one.
- Light jacket: the eastern desert can be cold in the early morning even in spring, and genuinely cold in winter (December-February temperatures can drop below 10°C at dawn).
When to visit
Spring (March-May): The oryx calve in spring, and young oryx among the herds add to the spectacle. Wildflowers briefly appear on the steppe — the otherwise brown landscape turns temporarily green and colourful. Temperatures are comfortable (15-25°C). Best overall season.
Autumn (September-November): Good wildlife viewing with fewer visitors. Temperatures moderate after summer.
Winter (December-February): Cold mornings but the animals are more active in cool weather. The desert landscape is austere but the oryx look magnificent in winter light. Bring warm layers.
Summer (June-August): The least recommended season. Temperatures in the eastern desert frequently exceed 45°C. The animals are still present but concentrate in the limited shade, and the safari experience is uncomfortable for visitors. If you must visit in summer, go as early in the morning as the reserve opens.
The conservation story in depth
The Arabian oryx reintroduction is not just a Jordan story — it is a template that has been used subsequently in many countries for many species. The process at Shaumari demonstrated several things that were not previously proven:
Genetic diversity recovery: Starting with 4 individuals, careful breeding management maintained sufficient genetic diversity that the population expanded without significant inbreeding depression. This required detailed genetic tracking and managed pairings.
Adaptation to wild conditions: Animals bred in captivity or semi-captivity can be successfully released into larger wild populations when the transition is managed carefully. The Shaumari semi-wild environment served as an intermediate step between full captivity and wild release.
Population viability: A population of 200+ now exists in a reserve that was empty in 1979. Surplus animals from Shaumari have been transferred to establish populations in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The RSCN uses the Shaumari success as its primary case study for public education about conservation — which is why the visitor centre at the reserve has a reasonably good display on the history and science of the programme.
Visitor centre and facilities
The reserve has a visitor centre with exhibition space on the oryx conservation programme, toilets, and a shaded waiting area for pre-safari groups. There is no restaurant — bring food and water for the day.
The visitor centre staff include RSCN rangers who can answer questions about the animals and the conservation programme. The centre typically has some educational materials in English.
Opening hours: Approximately 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Confirm current hours before visiting, particularly outside the main tourist season.
Frequently asked questions
How close do you get to the oryx on the safari?
The safari truck regularly approaches to within 20-50 metres of oryx herds. The animals are not tame — they are genuinely wild — but they are habituated to the safari vehicle and do not flee at its approach. This is close enough for good photographs with a standard camera.
Can I walk inside the reserve?
No free walking is permitted inside the main enclosure. The safari truck is the only access. There is a short accessible walking area around the visitor centre and along the fence perimeter.
Is Shaumari worth visiting if I have only one day in eastern Jordan?
Combining Shaumari with Azraq Wetland Reserve in a single day is very feasible and represents the best use of the drive from Amman. Adding one or two desert castles (Qasr Amra is the most significant) en route makes for a full and varied day covering eastern Jordan’s best highlights.
Do the oryx have names or are they tracked individually?
The RSCN maintains detailed records of individual animals through tag identification and genetic monitoring. The animals are not named in the way zoo animals are, but they are individually tracked for population management purposes. The reserve manager or a knowledgeable ranger can explain the population structure — the mix of breeding groups, sub-adult males, and older dominant males — which adds depth to what would otherwise be simply “a group of animals.”
The Arabian oryx in Islamic culture
The Arabian oryx holds a special place in the cultural history of the Arabian Peninsula. In Arabic the oryx is called “al-maha” — a word that has been used poetically to describe beautiful eyes since at least the pre-Islamic period. The animal features in classical Arabic poetry, in falconry traditions (oryx were hunted alongside gazelles by trained falcons and coursing dogs), and in the visual arts of the Gulf states.
The oryx is the national animal of Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, and Algeria — virtually every country in the range where it once lived. This unusual distinction reflects both the cultural significance of the animal and the loss of its wild populations from all these countries’ territories.
At Shaumari, the Arabic-speaking Jordanian guides are often the most engaging interpreters of this cultural dimension — the connection between the living animals in the reserve and the centuries of poetry and art that recorded the animal’s existence before its extinction.
The eastern desert circuit in full
A full eastern Jordan day built around Shaumari might look like this:
7:00 am: Depart Amman. Head east on the Zarqa-Azraq road.
8:30 am: Stop at Qasr al-Hallabat — a well-preserved Umayyad castle with interesting frescoes and mosaics, about 40km east of Zarqa.
10:00 am: Continue east. Stop at Qasr Amra — the most impressive of the desert castles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with extraordinary 8th-century floor-to-ceiling frescoes including one of the earliest painted star maps. Allow 1.5 hours.
12:00 pm: Arrive at Shaumari Wildlife Reserve. Safari truck tour (1-1.5 hours). Picnic lunch at the visitor centre.
2:00 pm: Drive 2km to Azraq Wetland Reserve. 1.5-hour boardwalk and hide session. Check for wintering birds.
4:00 pm: Brief visit to Azraq Castle (30-45 minutes).
5:00 pm: Depart Azraq for Amman. Arrive approximately 6:30-7:00 pm.
This is a full but achievable day that covers the best of eastern Jordan without unnecessary rushing.
Ecological significance of Shaumari beyond the oryx
While the oryx reintroduction is the headline, Shaumari’s ecological importance extends to the other species. The onager reintroduction is ecologically significant because wild equids once played a major ecological role in the steppe-desert — they shaped vegetation patterns through grazing, created wallows (dust bathing sites) that other animals used, and were the prey of wolves and lions that once inhabited the region.
The gazelle population at Shaumari has also been used as a source population for gazelle reintroductions elsewhere in Jordan. The reserve functions as an insurance population and a breeding centre, not just as a visitor attraction.
The reserve’s desert grassland habitat — maintained partly by the grazing of these animal populations — is itself an important ecosystem. The flat Badia steppe, largely considered “empty” desert, supports significant populations of migrating birds, reptiles (numerous endemic species), and invertebrates that form the base of the food web the larger mammals depend on.
Practical logistics in detail
Arriving at Shaumari: The reserve entrance is on a minor road between the North Azraq and South Azraq townships. GPS is the most reliable navigation — use coordinates rather than a named address, as some navigation apps conflate Shaumari with the broader Azraq region. The entrance gate is clearly marked with RSCN signage.
Parking: A gravelled parking area is available at the visitor centre. There is no charge for parking.
Mobile coverage: Generally adequate for standard calls and data in the Azraq area. Do not rely on live navigation inside the reserve — signal can drop in the lower-lying sections.
Dress code: There is no specific dress code at Shaumari, but the open safari truck means full sun exposure. Long sleeves, a hat, and high-SPF sunscreen are essential. The Badia desert wind can make it feel cooler than the actual temperature — bring a layer if visiting in the morning in any season between October and April.
Photography gear: For the best oryx photographs, bring a telephoto lens (300mm minimum, 400-600mm for tight portraits). The flat terrain means shot opportunities are determined more by lens length than by positioning. The safari truck is open — you can shoot in any direction from the back. A bean bag or monopod provides stability on the moving vehicle.
Timing within Shaumari: The safari typically runs for 1.5 hours. With the visitor centre exhibition (30 minutes) and the perimeter walk (30-45 minutes), plan for a total of 3 hours at the reserve. This allows time to complete everything without rushing, and pairs neatly with a 2-hour afternoon session at adjacent Azraq Wetland.
What to read before visiting
If the oryx reintroduction story interests you, several resources add depth to the Shaumari visit:
Mark Stanley Price’s “Animal Reintroductions: The Arabian Oryx in Oman” covers the sister programme in Oman and the scientific principles behind the reintroduction methodology.
The RSCN publishes annual reports on wildlife population trends in Jordanian reserves — available through rscn.org.jo and useful for understanding current population numbers before you visit.
Jordan’s broader conservation history is documented in “Nature Conservation in Jordan” (various RSCN publications), available at the Wild Jordan Centre in Amman.
For the broader context of Jordan’s conservation programme across all seven RSCN reserves, see /guides/rscn-reserves-jordan/.