Dama gazelle  (Gazella dama)

In the recent past hunting of this species was common, until numbers fell dramatically (13). Now, additional threat comes from habitat loss due to desertification as well as overgrazing by livestock and the loss of tree cover following clearance by man (5) (13). The livestock not only cause drier land, but also drive the gazelle away. Civil unrest in several of the countries home to this once numerous gazelle has also contributed to its decline (13).

The range of the dama gazelle falls on some of the poorest countries in Africa, and consequently little action is being taken to conserve this species. It is managed in captivity and exists in a few reserves in its range, but they are not well guarded, and offer little more protection than any other area (15).