Mammals
Mountain Gazelle
Gazella gazella · also called mountain gazelles
Once common across the rocky hillsides of the Middle East, a mountain gazelle has lost an estimated four-fifths of its population in only a few decades, a decline steep enough to turn a once-familiar sight into an increasingly rare one.
Overview
The mountain gazelle, Gazella gazella, is a rocky-terrain specialist native to desert and mountainous habitat across parts of the Middle East, including Israel and the Arabian Peninsula. Its steep recent population decline, agility across broken ground, and clear difference in horn size between the sexes make it one of the more urgently monitored gazelle species found anywhere in the region.
A steep fall from common to endangered
Few gazelle species illustrate how quickly a widespread population can collapse as clearly as the mountain gazelle, whose numbers have fallen so sharply in recent decades that a species once taken for granted across its range now requires active conservation attention.
Status
Endangered, having lost an estimated four-fifths of its population over recent decades due to habitat loss, hunting, and predation.
Mountain Gazelle: common questions
How severely has the mountain gazelle population declined?
This species has lost an estimated four-fifths of its total population over roughly three generations, a decline steep enough that it has been reclassified to a higher risk category in recent assessments.
Why does the mountain gazelle prefer rocky terrain?
This species favours rocky hillsides and semi-arid terrain, relying on agility to move confidently across uneven, broken ground that offers some protection from predators and human disturbance.
Do male and female mountain gazelle have the same size horns?
No, this species shows a clear difference between the sexes, with males growing longer, more strongly ridged horns than the shorter horns typically seen on females.
Why is the mountain gazelle classified as Endangered?
This species has declined by an estimated four-fifths over recent decades due to habitat loss, hunting, and predation, leaving it classified as Endangered despite once being common across its Middle Eastern range.