CONSERVATION OF ARABIAN GAZELLES - Nwrc.gov.sa

G. s. hillieriana, the Mongolian goitred gazelle. Occurs in the Gobi and Caidam areas in
Mongolia.
Firstly, there is some taxonomic uncertainty at the species level. G. s. rnarica was initially
placed with G. leptoceros in an earlier classification (Ellerman and Morrison-Scott, 1951). Later, it
Was proposed that G. leptoceros itself should be included in G. subgutturosa (Lange, 1972). This
example reflects the dilemma within the genus Gazella that exists even at the species level. Finally
Groves and Harrison (1967) identified marica as a subspecies of G. subgutturosa on the basis of
obvious skull similarities. For the taxon leplOceros, no final answer has yet been given (Furley et al.,
1988).
The sand gazelle was once abundant in the open country of central Saudi Arabia and was
particularly numerous in the north (Thou less et aI., 1991 ). It probably migrated in large numbers
along a north-south axis to Syria. Only two small known populations have persisted today in two
protected areas in the northern part of the country, Harrat aI-Harrah and AI-Khunfah. Two captive
populations, managed for future reintroductions, exist. The IGng Khalid Wildlife Research Center
(KKWRC) near Riyadh, holds a herd of about 400 individuals. The other captive population is at
Qassim and numbers about 600 individuals. No reliable data are available on the origin of these two
captive populations, which both Originate from private collections of the Royal family. Princes used
to hunt in neighbouring countries and collect live specimens from various origins for their private
collections. Due to the proximity of the geographic range of G. s. subgutturosa, it is possible that this
subspecies was mixed with G. s. marica in both collections.
The lack of historical data for both captive herds, as well as the existing biological and
taxonomic data concerning the species, raises many questions:
1) How can it be established whether the animals bred in the NCWCD collections (at
KKWRC and Qassim) are pure G. s. marica
2) What is the geneti ~ distance between G. s. subgullurosa and G. s. rnarica Should they be
considered as valid subspecies
3) If hybridization with G. s. subgutturosa is suspected, should these animals be used for
reintroduction within the historical range of G. s. rnarica in Saudi Arabia
Data synthesis
- Natural history information: The majority of historical records derived from the north of
the country. According to Philby (1923), sand gazelles occurred in "thousands". It is possible that
these populations were migratory or nomadic, depending on food availability (Tho~less et al., 1991).
These migrations could have generated regular genetic exchanges between populations of the two
subspecies.
- Range and distribution data: The range of the two subspecies is clearly defined, with G.
s. subgutturosa in Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Iran, and G. s. rnarica in all the Arabian peninsula,
ranging north through eastern Jordan. Judging by morphometric and cytogenetic data (see below),
there might have been a possible range overlap in Iraq with possible hybridization (Harrison and
Bates, 1991; Kingswood and Kumamoto, 1988).
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