Addra Gazelle

Scientific Name: Gazelle dama ruficollis

Gazelles are small members of the Antelope family, found primarily in Africa where they live in grasslands and savannah woodlands and feed on plants and grasses.  The wild population of the addra or dama gazelle is found in the Sahel, a vast arid grassland region associated with the Sahara desert.  Addra gazelles live in small herds of 8-10 animals and are fleet footed runners to escape danger and predators. 

The addra gazelle is considered critically endangered due to over hunting and loss of their habitat due to livestock competition.  The last remaining wild addra gazelle populations are highly fragmented and there are few protected areas or formal measures in place to preserve the species and its habitats.  The addra gazelle program at White Oak and in zoos is an important last holdout for the species as the wild population disappears.

White Oak Conservation Center has maintained a breeding herd of addra gazelles since 1983 and our staff has become experts in their care and management. Although the addra gazelle is a desert species they thrive in our facilities here in Florida and we have had more than 230 gazelle births to date here at the Center.  We work closely with other zoos and participate with the Dama (Addra) Gazelle Species Survival Plan, an AZA cooperative program to ensure the survival of the species.  

As a priority conservation program,White Oak supports addra gazelle conservation work in their native habitat in the Termit Massif in Niger, Africa.  Through our efforts we are helping to monitor and secure protected areas containing important habitats and populations of Sahara desert species including the addra gazelle, addax antelope, and cheetahs.  We are also working with organizations like the Sahara Conservation Fund and Conservation Centers for Species Survival to develop the potential to send addra gazelles born at White Oak for reintroduction to areas where they have disappeared.