Abyssinian mohr
Soemmerring's gazelle (Nanger soemmerringii) is a gazelle species native to the Horn of Africa. It was described and given its binomen by German physician Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar in 1828. The species is currently very understudied due to its small numbers.
Soemmerring's gazelle is a tall gazelle with tan flanks, gradually turning to white on the belly and long black horns. Soemmerring's and Grant's gazelles' outward appearance are so similar, that they are often mistaken for each other where their ranges overlap.
Soemmerring's gazelles are found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and South Sudan. They are probably extinct in Sudan. These gazelles live in open plains and grasslands with brush, acacia savanna, as well as grasslands and savanna with few trees.
Little is known about the habits of Soemmerring’s gazelles. Females live in small herds, while males spend their time singly until the beginning of the breeding season. Young males may form small bachelor groups. Adult males are known to establish territories which they mark with dung middens and defend from other males.
Soemmerring's gazelles are herbivores (graminivores, folivores). Their diet consists of acacia and bush leaves, grasses, and herbs.
Soemmerring's gazelles can breed at any time of the year. Females give birth to only 1 calf after the gestation period of about 6.5-7 months. Newly born calves remain hidden in dense vegetation for the first month and become weaned when they are approximately 6 months old. Young females become reproductively mature and start to breed between 18 and 21 years of age.
The main threats to this species include overhunting for food, degradation of the habitat due to large numbers of livestock, and civil and military conflicts. In many parts of North Africa and the Middle East, large stone corrals were constructed to drive herds of gazelle into, making for an easy ambush. This method of hunting started in prehistoric time and continued into the early part of the 20th century. In parts of their former range, Sommerring's gazelles are already extinct due to hunting and habitat destruction.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Soemmerring's gazelle is suggested to be below 6,000-7,500 individuals or 4,000-5,000 mature individuals. The largest current population which occurs on Dahlak Kebir island, Eritrea, is estimated at 3,000-4,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
