Almeria’s Gazelle Guardians

Thanks to conservation efforts, the endangered Mohor gazelle’s future is safe in Almeria.

After more than five decades of captivity, the Mohor gazelle’s survival is secure, with 300 individuals now thriving in Almeria.

This success, confirmed on Friday, April 19, by the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), is credited to the exemplary management of their breeding.

A study spearheaded by CSIC and the Complutense University of Madrid praised the strategy that has preserved genetic diversity despite the challenges of high inbreeding from just a few founders – one male and three females.

The European Captive Breeding Program, coordinated by Sonia Dominguez from the EEZA-CSIC, involves 30 zoos across Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland and Sweden.

Significantly, ‘genetic purging’ has eliminated harmful diseases and bolstered survival and reproduction rates. As Sonia Dominguez emphasised the crucial ongoing control of pairings and genetic management to sustain the gazelle‘s population viability.

The program aims to reintroduce these gazelles to their native North African habitats, ensuring they are genetically equipped to adapt and flourish in the wild.