Please sign Petition:
As the Dama Gazelle is on the IUCN Red Data List: Critically Endangered.
Target: Travel and Tourism in Sudan, Republic of Chad, Republic of Niger and the Republic of Mali.
Priorities
1. Protection of remaining wild populations in Chad, Niger and Mali.
2. Captive-breeding and reintroduction to secure areas in former range states.
3. Increased focus in international collections on securing captive populations of the N. d. dama race (N. d. mhorr and N. d. ruficollis are far better represented).
4. A new threat the gazelle faces is tourism. Tourists want to take pictures of this endangered species, and in doing so, may be perceived as a threat, especially during the hot season. Gazelles will run away from perceived danger, and in the hot season may overheat and die of stress.
The Dama Gazelle is white with a tannish-brown head and neck. Both sexes usually have medium-length ringed horns curved like an "S". Males' horns are about 35 cm (14 in) long, while females' horns are much shorter. The gazelles' heads are small with narrow muzzles, their eyes are relatively large, and they have longer necks and legs than most Gazelles. These animals are between 90 and 120 cm (35 and 47 in) tall at the shoulder, weigh between 35 and 75 kg (77 and 165 lb), and have life spans up to 12 years in the wild or 18 in captivity. A few days following birth, Dama young are strong enough to follow the herd, and after a week, they are able to run as fast as the adults.
Damas are considered the largest type of Gazelle, with incredibly long legs, which provide extra surface area on their bodies to dissipate heat, one of the many ways they stay cool in their hot desert environment. They also tend to need more water than some of their desert relatives, but they can withstand fairly long periods of drought. Unlike many other desert mammals, Damas are a diurnal species, meaning they are active during the day.
Always on the alert, Damas use a behavior called pronking to warn herd members of danger. Pronking involves the animal hopping up and down with all four of their legs stiff, so their limbs all leave and touch the ground at the same time. Males also establish territories, and during breeding season, they actively exclude other mature males. They mark their territories with urine and dung piles and secretions from glands near their eyes.
Human threats are the most dangerous of threats to the Dama Gazelle. The main reason this species of Gazelle is endangered is because of mechanized hunting; hunters using vehicles increase their decline. Civil unrest, for instance in Sudan, also negatively affects the life of the Dama Gazelle. Since the Gazelle is already having a hard time surviving, these conditions have made its habitat unsuitable.
A new threat the gazelle faces is tourism. Tourists want to take pictures of this endangered species, and in doing so, may be perceived as a threat, especially during the hot season. Gazelles will run away from perceived danger, and in the hot season may overheat and die of stress.
Update #19 years ago
We still need your help! Without *you*, I cannot do this alone!
The Dama Gazelle remains to be on the IUCN Red Data List: Critically Endangered!
The threat the gazelle faces is tourism remains. Tourists want to take pictures of this endangered species, and in doing so, may be perceived as a threat, especially during the hot season. Gazelles will run away from perceived danger, and in the hot season may overheat and die of stress.
