For centuries, herds of Arabian oryx roamed the Arabian Peninsula. But by 1972, the last wild oryx was reportedly killed by hunters in the Persian Gulf nation of Oman — leaving only a few animals in captivity.
What happened next was an unprecedented effort by American zoos in San Diego and Phoenix to save the oryx through captive breeding. The animals were then released into the wild or protected reserves.
(READ the article in the LA Times)