GAZELLE (Thomson's and Grant's)



How to Recognize
Gazelles are the most common medium-sized antelope in East Africa. The Thomson’s gazelle has a black band on its flank, and its females have tiny horns. They have fast swishing tails (fun to see!).

The Grant’s gazelle has a white rump patch which extends onto the back. It’s larger than the Thomson’s gazelle, and the females have smaller horns then the male. Both types of gazelles have a dark stripe through the eye and pale eyebrows.

Habitat
Commonly seen in the savannah and woodland areas.

Behavior
Diurnal. They live in a flexible society with little ranking. Herds of Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles often gather in the hundreds – sometimes with each other or other herbivores, such as zebras, topis, impalas, and wildebeests. A great percentage of the 400,000 Thomson’s gazelles on the Serengeti Plans are migratory, mingling with zebras and wildebeests.

They can reach speeds up to 50 mph when fleeing, dodging and jumping from a predator with great agility. Gazelles aren't quite a match for cheetahs, and they run the risk of overheating when being pursued by wild dogs or hyenas.

Breeding
Fawns hide in the long grass for a few weeks after birth with its mother often close by. The mother may also join a maternity herd which fend off jackals.

Feeding
A grazer and browser.

Enemies
All of the large predators will take gazelles when the opportunity arises. Thomson’s gazelles are a favorite of cheetahs and wild dogs. Male olive baboons will eat a young gazelle for extra protein. Martial eagles take fawns.

Herd members communicate with signals to warn of predators: Thomson’s gazelles flicker their black flank stripe by twitching their torso just when they are about to run, and Grant’s gazelles have a white rump that stands out in flight.


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Copyright © 2002, Dawn M. Dalton.
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