Addra gazelle
Nanger dama ruficollis
Did you know?
- Addra gazelles are one of three subspecies of the Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama).
- Addra gazelles are the largest gazelle species in the world.
- Like many gazelle species, both males and females have horns.
- Female addra gazelles are pregnant for about six and a half months before giving birth to a single calf (twinning is very rare).
- Along with their size, you can identify them by their mostly white coats with rusty-colored necks and upper backs.
Adaptations
Addra gazelles are well adapted for a life in the desert. Their light coats help reflect the sun's rays. They are able to get their water from the plants they eat. Their larger size allows them to reach higher to eat from nutritious desert plants like acacia trees.
Social Structure
Addra gazelles are social and prefer to live in groups. Males are territorial, especially during breeding season where they live in a herd with multiple females. They will aggressively defend their territory and herd from other males.
Threat Level
- Unknown
- Common
- Near Threatened
- Threatened
- Endangered
- Critically Endangered
- Extinct in the Wild
Critically Endangered
Range
Now only found in four highly scattered populations: two in Niger (in the Termit Massif and Aïr Mountains) and two in Chad (in the Manga and in the Ouadi Rimé – Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve) representing less than 1% of the initial area occupied.
Habitat
throughout the Sahel
We care about Addra gazelles
Addra gazelles are one of the most endangered species in the world with approximately 200 left in the wild. The Zoo’s WildCare Institute supports Sahara Conservation, an organization that is committed to saving the addra gazelle, along with the addax and scimitar-horned oryx. You can help these animals by supporting the WildCare Institute. (*link to the WCI homepage).
Find this animal in Red Rocks
SAINT LOUIS ZOO ZONE
Red Rocks
At Red Rocks, you’ll view some of the world’s most powerful predators living near some of the world’s most graceful prey. Lions, tigers, zebra and giraffes all share the natural rocky boulders and outcroppings as their territory. With shading trees and a bird or two among the mammals, Red Rocks is a great place to spend a day at the Saint Louis Zoo.