Dama (Mhorr) Gazelle

Facts

IUCN CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR)

Facts about this animal

The Dama Gazelle is a medium-sized, slender antelope with a long neck and long legs. The horns are found in both sexes, though they are generally larger and thicker in males, growing 20-43 cm long. The neck and back are reddish brown and the head and the rump are white.

Did you know?
that the dama gazelle is the largest of all gazelle species? It weighs up to 85 kg and stands up to 108 cm tall at the shoulder.

Factsheet
Class	MAMMALIA
Order	ARTIODACTYLA
Suborder	RUMINANTIA
Family	BOVIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Nanger dama
Name (English)	Dama (Mhorr) Gazelle
Name (French)	Gazelle dama
Name (German)	Damagazelle, Mhorrgazelle
Name (Spanish)	Gacela dama
Local names	Ariel/Mhorr (Arabic)
CITES Status	Appendix I
CMS Status	Appendix I

Photo Copyright by
Eric Kilby

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Sahara desert and Sahel. Remnant populations in Algeria, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Sudan. Reintroduction project at the Ferlo-North Faunal Reserve in Senegal (in 2007, the Katane Enclosure held 8 Mhorr gazelles). Regionally extinct in Libya, Mauritania, Morocco. Possibly regionally extinct in Nigeria and Western Sahara. Uncertain status in Cameroon and Gambia.
Habitat	Stony desert and semi-desert regions, grass and bush steppes with Acacia and Panicum spp.
Wild population	Less than 500, and the population is decreasing (Red List IUCN 2011)
Zoo population	386 reported to ISIS (2007), of which 32 subspecies unknown or subspecific hybrids, 162 G. d. mhorr, and 192 G. d. ruficollis.

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 73 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Jeff Egnaczyk

Why do zoos keep this animal