Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area
Encyclopedia
The Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area is a 220,000 ha large protected area in central Saudi Arabia
. The area is totally fenced and protection from livestock grazing has allowed a spectacular recovery of native vegetation. The reserve is now dominated by grasslands, which are a reminder of what most of the Arabian peninsula may have looked once.
Mahazat as-Sayd is one of the few places where the Arabian oryx
has been reintroduced to. In addition the reem gazelle and red-necked ostrich
have been reintroduced in the reserve.
The area was once also home to wolves and two more species of gazelles, the idmi and dorcas gazelle
. It is likely that striped hyenas and cheetahs once also inhabited the area.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. The area is totally fenced and protection from livestock grazing has allowed a spectacular recovery of native vegetation. The reserve is now dominated by grasslands, which are a reminder of what most of the Arabian peninsula may have looked once.
Mahazat as-Sayd is one of the few places where the Arabian oryx
Arabian Oryx
The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium sized antelope with a distinct shoulder hump, long straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of Oryx genus, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian peninsula...
has been reintroduced to. In addition the reem gazelle and red-necked ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
have been reintroduced in the reserve.
The area was once also home to wolves and two more species of gazelles, the idmi and dorcas gazelle
Dorcas Gazelle
The Dorcas Gazelle , also known as the Ariel Gazelle, is a small and common gazelle. The Dorcas Gazelle stands approximately 55-65 cm . Dorcas gazelle have a head and body length of 90-110 cm and a weight of 15-20 kg...
. It is likely that striped hyenas and cheetahs once also inhabited the area.