English: Dorcas Gazelle; French: Gazelle dorcas; Arabic: Ghazal, Rajal, Hemar; Baluchi: Ahu, Ask, Ast; Bambara: Sinè; Baori: Porsya; Brahui: Khazm; Canarese: Mudari, Budari Tiska; Hausa: Farin/Baréwa; Hebrew: Zwi ha Negev; Hindi: Chinkara, Chikara, Kalpunch; Kirundi: Intaramvyi; Marathi: Kalsipi; Nepali: Chinkara; Pashto: Hussai; Somali: Phero; Tigre: Genai; Tuareg: ahankod; Urdu: Chinkara, Hossai; Wolof: Kéwél.
Former distribution: From Senegal north to Morocco, east to Somalia, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Arabian Peninsula, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India from Sind to Nepal.
Present distribution: North-eastern Morocco, Algeria Oran Province, northern Somalia, southern Tunisia, north-eastern Mauritania, northern Mali, northern and central Niger, central and northern Chad, Libya, north-western Sudan, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, south-eastern Afghanistan, southern Pakistan, western India to Nepal.
Behaviour: See Damagazelle
Population status: Endangered. Estimated numbers: Israel: 500 (1964); Pakistan: 800 (1970); North Africa: no records; Somalia: no records.
Brief notes:
Body weight: 15-20 kg
Body weight: 15-20 kg
Head and body length: 90-110 cm
Tail length: 15-20 cm
Shoulder heights: 55-65 cm
Gestation period: 169-181 days
Maximum age: 12 1/2 years
Trophy: Rowland Ward’s: 15″, Algeria, Paris Museum (Count de Janze); average: 11″.
Hunting methods: Formerly on horseback, with dogs, eagles and falcons; now protected by law.
Subspecies: 8; 5 Palaearctic, 3 Afro-tropical region
1. Gazella d. saudiya Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait. Endangered. Trophy: No records.
2. Gazella d. massaesyla Morocco to Tunisia. Endangered.
3. Gazella d. benetti From south-eastern Pakistan into India, to Nepal and Bhutan. Endangered. Trophy: Record SCI: 40 3/8 score, 1977 Pakistan, C.J. MCELROY; average 22 score. RW’s: 15 5/8″, 1906 India, Lt. Col. Sir PC. PALIN; average 8″.
4. Gazella d. fuscifrons Eastern Iran, southern Afghanistan. Endangered. Trophy: See G.d. benetti
5. Gazella d. monssalis Kashmir. Endangered. Trophy: No records.
Afro-tropical region
6. Gazella d. dorcas North-eastern Mauretania; northern Mali, northern and central Niger, central and northern Chad; north-western Sudan. Endangered.
7. Gazella d. pelzelni Northern provinces of Somalia. Endangered.
8. Gazella d. littoralis North-eastern Sudan, northern Ethiopia. Endangered.
Remarks: The validity of these subspecies is obscure and should be examined; also the population status and distribution areas. These gazelles are endangered due to excessive hunting and competition from domestic livestock.
