CONSERVATION OF ARABIAN GAZELLES - Nwrc.gov.sa

Again some questions, related to the validity of the different subspecies of G. gazella on the
Arabian peninsula, and subsequent management options, arise.
I) Should G. g. cora and G. g. gazella be considered as two valid subspecies
2) How can we assess the subspecific status of the KKWRC collection In which geographic
areas are these animals suitable for reintroduction, given the historical distribution of the
different subspecies in Saudi Arabia
3) What is the genetic distance between G. g. farasani and G. g. cora Could we use the
surplus animals of the Farasan Islands for reintroduction on the mainland
4) What is the real taxonomic position of G. g. erlangeri Depending on this, is its
protection a high priority
Data synthesis
- Natural history information: The mountain gazelle is more or less a sedentary species.
Males are typically solitary and territorial and females live in small groups (Mendelssohn, 1974).
They seem to have occupied a wide range of habitats of the Arabian peninsula, occurring at lower
density in sandy areas (Thou less el of., 1991). Very little information is available on the biology and
ecology of the different subspecies in Saudi Arabia.
Different hypotheses have been proposed to explain the existence of the Farasan gazelle. The
gazelles may have been isolated from the mainland during the last Ice Age about 15,000 years ago
(Thou less and Al Bassri, 1991). This period represents quite a short time on the biological scale of
evolutionary change (about 10,000 generations). Another hypothesis suggests that the population
originated from a few founders brought in by fishermen to establish a primiti ve game ranching
operation. In this case, the validity of the subspecies would be doubtful, because of the short period
of time over which the speciation process has occurred. Genetic drift due to the founder effect could
alone explain the morphological differences found between G. g. farasan; and G. g. cora. It is very
likely that some introductions of gazelles have recently occurred from the mainland.
- Range and distribution data: Two subspecies of G. gazella are distributed on a north·
south axis, with G. g. gazella in Israel, Lebanon and Syria and G. g. cora in the Arabian peninsula.
Considering ecological variations in this gradient and climatic changes, the concept of subspecies can
be easily understood with adaptation to local conditions. However, data about the former distribution
of G. gazella subspecies are very imprecise.
Most of the museum specimens of the Arabian gazelle, G. g. cora, come from the western
part of the country but reports exist from many other parts of the country as well (Thouless el aI.,
1991 )
- Morphometries: G. g. gazella is larger than G. g. cora. The coat is said to be lighter than
in G. g. cora. The horns of G. g. cora are also more Iyrate and narrower across the base than in G. g.
gazella (Groves, 1969).
Al Bassri and Thouless (1988) conducted a study on the KKWRC mountain gazelle
population. Measurements from eight skulls were compared with G. g. gazella and G. g. cora
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