Discover Jordan's Nature & Cultural Heritage



Dana

This enchanting small village nestles at the foot of a cliff overlooking a magnificent view of Wadi Dana. The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) has set up a nature reserve in the area of Dana to study and preserve local flora and fauna. Field guides are available. Hiking trails are open, and field guides will lead tours in the early morning and in the evening. Recent surveys of the Dana area have produced some very exciting results: 72 different families of plants adding up to a total of 703 species; 38 species of mammals; 258 invertebrate; 2 amphibians; 42 reptiles and more than 215 species of birds have been identified some of them never before recorded in Jordan.

Of the species found, several are considered to be in serious global decline or threatened with extinction. This alone confirms that the reserves importance in helping conserve the world’s dwindling wildlife populations.

Among the most interesting animals the surveys have uncovered is the Blandford’s fox, a tiny and beautiful creature hitherto unknown in Jordan. Many rare birds have been recorded, including the magnificent black Verreux’s Eagle, normally found only in Africa; and the Syrian Serin, a finch native to the Middle East. Dana is thought to have more than 90 percent of the known breeding population of Serin.