This 10-sq-km reserve, off Al Zallaq Hwy in the island's southwest, is a conservation area for species indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa. After a short introductory film (in Arabic only), a small bus leaves roughly every hour for a tour (with commentary in Arabic and English) past some of the park's 80 species of bird and 45 species of mammal.
There are several herds of mature oryx with fabulous horns that make it easy to appreciate, first, how this gracious animal could be mistaken for a unicorn and, secondly, what an enviable choice of national animal it makes.
