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SLENDER-HORNED GAZELLE Gazella leptoceros
Identification Known also as the Sand, Rhim or Loder’s Gazelle, the
Slender-horned Gazelle is the palest of all North African gazelles. It
has a dull greyish-fawn coat, white underparts and indistinct facial
markings. The distal half of the short tail is black. The horns (35 cm)
are slender, especially those of the female, and well ringed. The rams
have almost straight horns.
Size Shoulder height 65–70 cm.
Weight 2 0–30 kg.
Habitat and Behaviour The Slender-horned Gazelle is an antelope of
mainly sandy desert that extends its range into adjacent hill country.
A mixed feeder, both grazing and browsing, like most desert antelopes
this species is independent of drinking water. It is strongly nomadic
and lives in family groups or small herds, although larger temporary
groupings may come together at productive feeding grounds. Each
small group of females and associated young is accompanied by an
adult ram.
Distribution and Status It is estimated that less than 5,
individuals survive over the vast Saharan range of the Slender-horned
Gazelle; it has disappeared from much of its former range. Populations
are known from north-central and south-east Algeria, southern
Tunisia, Libya and north-west Egypt. Small populations are said to
persist in north-central Niger.
Conservation Areas Tassili NP (Algeria); Djebil NP (Tunisia); Zellaf NR
(Libya); Aïr and Tenere NR (Niger).
CUVIER’S GAZELLE Gazella cuvieri
Identification Known locally as the Edmi, this gazelle has dark grey-
brown upperparts and clean white underparts separated by a broad,
dark lateral band, and distinctive dark and pale facial markings. It
is the only gazelle likely to be encountered in the Atlas region of
north-west Africa, although it may overlap with the much paler
Dorcas Gazelle in some of its range. Its horns are heavily ringed and of
moderate length (30 cm); they are shorter and more slender in ewes.
Size Shoulder height 60–80 cm.
Weight 35 kg.
Habitat and Behaviour Cuvier’s Gazelle exists in a range of habitats
from open forest to rocky desert in the Atlas ranges and adjacent
areas. It is a mixed feeder that grazes and takes browse. It never
forms into large herds, living in small herds usually numbering 3–
individuals. Each herd is generally controlled by a territorial ram
within a relatively small home range. The species is not known to be