Five best places to observe Oman’s wildlife

By Titash Chakraborty

Oman is at the crossroad of the world’s important wildlife highway. Every year, millions of birds make a stopover in the country not only to escape changing weather from their home countries but also to lavish in the country’s natural offerings. It’s not just the birds however that find their way to the Sultanate of Oman. From the gentle giants of the oceans to sea turtles, Oman is rich in biodiversity. Here are five of the country’s best locations if you want to enjoy seeing Oman’s wildlife.

Jabal Samhan Reserve

Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the area of Jabal Samhan in Dhofar. It has an area of 4,500 square kilometres and has no permanent population. It is one of the last known homes of the Arabian leopard. The reserve is also home to several animal species, including the Arabian gazelle, the fox, the Indian crested porcupine, the Cape hare, the rock hyrax, the Nubian goat, the desert hedgehog, the Arabian wolf, and several bird species, as well as plants including the frankincense tree and acacia. Special permission is required to visit the Jabal Samhan Nature Reserve.

As Saleel Nature Park

Covering an area of 220 sq kilometres, As Saleel Nature Park is located in the Al Sharqiyah region in eastern Oman. It is located to the north of Al Kamil W’al Wafi Wilayat and 57 km from Sur. It consists of three basic geographical types. It is located to the north of Al Kamil W’al Wafi Wilayat and is 57 km from Sur. It consists of three basic geographical types. The first is the alluvial plain and has a wide yard of acacia and gum Arabic trees, the second is the valleys that split the mountains and the third is the broad hills of these mountains. This Park is home to the Arabian gazelle, wild cats, Arabian wolves, red fox and Egyptian eagle, along with a variety of turtles and birds.

Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve

Al Wusta Wildlife Reserve is located in the city of Haima in Al Wusta, which is the middle region of Oman. It covers an area of 2,824 sq kilometres and is home to the Arabian oryx, the Arabian gazelle, hares and ibexes. In the middle of a spectacular desert escarpment, this reserve is home to a small herd of reintroduced oryx. It offers a rare chance to see this magnificent desert antelope up close as there is a large herd of over 600 animals in the reserve’s breeding centre. The reserve, access to which is by 4WD with prior permit only, is 50 km off the Haima-Duqm road on a graded track marked ‘Habab.’

Fjords of Musandam

Musandam is the northernmost governorate in Oman. It is separated from the rest of the country by a piece of land from the United Arab Emirates, while its coastline is distinguished by rocky edges that form unique fjords. The most famous animals that live in the waters of Musandam are dolphins, especially Humpback dolphins and Bottlenose dolphins. Visitors can enjoy watching the dolphins on the local Omani Dhow in the waters of Musandam.

Wadi Sireen Reserve

Wadi Sireen Reserve is located in the eastern Al Hajar Mountains Range some 45 km south of Muscat Governorate in the centre of Oman. The Reserve is home to one of the rarest and most timid mammals in the world known as the Arabian Tahr, due to the wadi having the perfect environment for Tahr to live such as mountain cliffs and rocky slopes. The Arabian tahr is a very rare animal that has a short body, hooked horns, a dark line that extends along the back and reddish-brown hair. There are many other animals which share wadi Sireen’s hospitality with the Arabian Tahr such as the Arabian gazelle, Arabian wolf, Blanford’s fox, Red fox, Hedgehog, Deer, Jayakar’s Oman lizard, common Kestrel, Egyptian vulture, Sand partridge, Oman saw-scaled viper and some kind of birds, in addition to many reptiles and invertebrates. The animals are found alone or in small family-like groups.

[First printed in November 2020)