The story of this expedition has its origin in the concern which has developed in recent years for the future of the Arabian Tahr (Hemitragus jayakari). This unique species of wild goat, confined to the mountain ranges of Oman, seemed to be threatened with extinction. During the spring of 1973 we formulated a plan for a National Park in the Jebel Akhdar Range. The area we selected is centred on the principal peak of Jebel Akhdar, and is almost rectangular, about 50 km across and 30 km from north to south, in the Hajar al-Gharbi, just south of Rostaq.