Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas)

Species information

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Threats

Numbers of this gazelle have declined throughout its range (1). Threats facing this species include habitat loss due to the expansion of permanent agriculture and grazing pressures caused by domestic sheep and goats. Poaching for food and predation by dogs are also problems, but the most serious threat throughout this gazelle’s range is uncontrolled illegal hunting (3).

Conservation

This species lives within national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas in a number of the countries in which it occurs. It is protected by law in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan and Israel; however in some areas enforcement is poor (3). In many countries, it has been proposed that further reserves should be created and enforcement of existing legal protection should be improved. In Tunisia, there is a need to determine the status of the species in the wild, and to determine where conservation action, such as carrying out reintroductions of captive-bred stock, should be used to restore the species. Captive breeding and reintroductions have also been proposed in Libya (3).