The Dama Gazelle: A Desert Antelope on the Edge of Survival

Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The dama gazelle is the largest of the gazelles, with long legs and a long neck, a reddish-brown back and a white belly and rump. A white patch on the face and throat makes it easy to recognise. Males and females both carry curved horns, and the animal moves with a graceful, springing stride.

Photo: Ltshears, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It lives in the Sahara and the dry Sahel region on its southern edge, in countries including Niger, Chad and Mali. It feeds on leaves, shoots and grasses, and it can survive for long periods without drinking water because it gets moisture from its food. In hot weather it rests in the shade of trees and shrubs during the worst heat of the day.

Photo: NASA, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sadly, it is one of the most endangered antelopes. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as critically endangered. Hunting, the loss of grazing land to livestock and years of conflict in its range have all pushed the numbers down, and only small, scattered populations remain in the wild.

Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Conservation groups have tried to help it. Breeding herds are kept in zoos and in protected areas, and there have been efforts to restore populations in reserves in North Africa. Progress is slow because the animals live in remote, difficult areas.

Photo: Holger Reineccius, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I always think that an animal like this is easy to overlook because it lives where few people go. Have you seen a dama gazelle in a zoo or in a wildlife film?