When this book was first published in 1989, attempts to reintroduce
plants or animals into their native habitat were still relatively rare,
and those that were adequately planned, designed, funded and monitored
over the course of years are even scarcer. The oryx story is an
exception to this, and has the added interest that it represents the
first attempt to re-establish a wild population of a species when there
were no others left outside captivity. This meant that zoo-bred animals
had to be prepared for release into the oryx's extreme and demanding
habitat in the deserts of central Oman. This book will be accessible to
the informed conservationist, amateur or professional.