The Arabian oryx is the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve's most famous resident – and the UAE's national animal. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National
An Arabian oryx calf emerges from a dune on the reserve. The species has been brought back from the brink of extinction, in a huge conservation success story for the UAE
Sand gazelles are perfectly adapted to the reserve's landscape
A sandfish skink leaves tracks in the sand as it crosses the desert
The broom bush, or fire bush, dominates the landscape in the north of the reserve, providing vital shelter for many species
Round entrances to rodent burrows, under the shelter of a bush on the reserve
The distinctive slot-shaped entrance to the burrow of a Leptien’s spiny-tailed lizard
This seemingly barren landscape is in fact teeming with life
