The Dama Mhorr Gazelle (Nanger dama mhorr) is a mammal in the Bovidae family of bovines, including gazelles and antelopes. It is also known as the Mhorr Gazelle, the Mohor Gazelle, and the Addra Gazelle. It is a sub-species of the Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama). It is extinct in the wild and was last seen in the wild in 1968, therefore it is a critically endangered species. It exists in breeding programs in zoos and reserves.
The Dama Mhorr Gazelle is white below with a reddish-brown head and neck. It has a small head with a narrow muzzle (nose). It has large eyes. The male and the female have medium-length curved horns in the shape of an S. It has longer legs and a longer neck than other gazelles. It is an artiodactyl because it has cloven (split) hooves.
It grows to 90-95 centimetres (35-37 inches) tall at shoulder height. The male has horns that are about 35 centimetres (14 inches) long, while the female’s horns are shorter.
It was previously native to the Sahara Desert and the Sahel region in northern and north-west Africa in countries such as Chad, Mali, and Niger. The Dama Mhorr Gazelle lived in the far western regions of these countries.
It prefers grasslands, shrublands, semi-deserts, open savannahs, and mountain plateau regions.
It is diurnal, active during the day. It is a browser, feeding on grasses, leaves, plant shoots, and fruit.
It can run fast, at about 90 kilometres per hour (56 miles per hour).
The Dama Mhorr Gazelle alerts each other to danger by pronking. Pronking is a behaviour of hopping up and down with all four legs stiff. All four legs leave the ground and touch the ground at the same time.
The female Dama Mhorr Gazelle has one live young after a pregnancy of 5-6 months. The young is strong enough to run as fast as the adults only a week after birth.
The lifespan of the Dama Mhorr Gazelle is 12-18 years.
Location of photographs: Parc Zoologique de Paris in Bois de Vincennes, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM