UNESCO removes Oman oryx sanctuary from heritage list - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

UNESCO removes Oman oryx sanctuary from heritage list

16 minutes ago

DUBAI (Reuters) - Oman's Arabian Oryx sanctuary this week
became the first site to be removed from UNESCO's World
Heritage list after the rare species dwindled and the
government cut the park size by 90 percent.

The Arabian Oryx sanctuary was added to the list in 1994 but
the United Nations cultural organization said that poaching
and habitat degradation had led to a decline in numbers of
Oryx.

In 1996, the population was 450 but it has since fallen to 65
with only around four breeding pairs making its future viability
uncertain, UNESCO said in a statement.

There was no immediate comment from Oman's government
on the sanctuary, the first site to be deleted since UNESCO's
1972 convention on the protection of cultural and natural
heritage sites.

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Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070630/sc_nm/oman_oryx_unesco_dc_1

[Strelnikov_]

1. Those who are about top go extinct . . . salute you