A dama gazelle is born at Barcelona Zoo
A dama gazelle (Nanger dama) was born at Barcelona Zoo on 7 February. The species is native to the sub-desert regions in the south of Morocco and the Western Sahara, and according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (UICN) the dama is currently in critical danger of extinction.
The new gazelle is a male, born to one of the females in the group and the reproductive male. The animal is in good health and has been interacting with the rest of the group, with its mother always close by.
The species disappeared from its natural habitat at one point, but a programme to breed it in captivity was launched in 1971, making it possible to reintroduce it in Senegal, Morocco and Tunisia. An ex situ conservation programme (EEP) was also launched by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), which has helped to assure the continuity of the species.
The main threats to the dama gazelle in its natural habitat come in the form of indiscriminate hunting and the loss and degradation of the natural environment due to macro farming and livestock practices.
