Fast Facts:

Grant's Gazelle

Conservation

Despite the loss of parts of its range due to the expansion of agriculture, and the decline of some populations because of poaching and competition with livestock, the gazelle remains widespread both within and outside of protected areas. The species is considered stable at this point.

Grants gazelles are not protected by the U.S. Endangered
Species Act, or its trade regulated by CITES. IUCN lists the gazelle as Lower Risk, Conservation Dependent. Like many other East African antelopes, however, its numbers are slowly decreasing over parts of its range although there are still enough large, stable populations to keep the total population at a satisfactory level.

Special Features

• Pale to dark tan with white under parts. There are dark markings on the thighs, face, and sides - these markings range from dark to light in color and are sometimes nonexistent in females.
  
  
• Some 'subspecies' have a dark stripe located midway along their body. The Grants Gazelle can be distinguished from the Thompson's by the black markings on their rump often referred to as "Grants have pants".
  
  
• General locations of the gazelle are The Somali-Masai Arid Zone, ranging from southern Sudan and Ethiopia to northern Tanzania; also from the Kenyan coast to Lake Victoria, Grant's gazelle can be seen in the following national parks: Tsavo, Amboseli, Nairobi, Sibiloi, and Meru NP, Masai Mara, Samburu-Isiolo, and Shaba NR, Kenya; Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti and Tarangire NP, Tanzania.
  
  
• Gazelles generally inhabit lowland thornbush, savanna woodland, open plains, and montane grasslands. Since Grant's gazelle are water independent, they are able to graze in areas where most other herbivores cannot graze. During the dry season, many Grant's gazelle migrate to the short-grass plains during the rainy season to heavily wooded areas. It is important to note that this migration is the opposite of the main migration of most other African species.
  
  
• Since gazelles are browsers/grazers, they rarely or never drink water directly because they receive all of their water from leaves, etc. that they eat.
  
  
• Predators are the spotted hyena, cheetah, leopard, and wild dog. Jackals have been seen attacking fawns.
  
  
• Gazelles are both nocturnal and diurnal, though activity seems to peak early and late in the day (crepuscular).
  
  
• Intimidation display between two gazelles establish breeding and "good territory" rights. The animals stand parallel to each other, but facing in opposite directions, and raise their heads, turning them toward on another (chin-up display).

Social Structure & Behavior

During the season when many species migrate, some Grants Gazelle do not. They have a high tolerance of drought and under those conditions, can obtain sufficient water from the vegetation.

Large herds can often be found on open plains and generally calved close to hills on kopjes. Some of the largest herds comprise 400 members, such as the herds in the Serengeti, for example. In these large herds there are typically several territorial males that share dominance depending on which territory the herd is on.

Herds with only one male can often also be found totaling 2 to 32 members. Male offspring generally stay with female tribes for one full year before being evicted. At that point the offspring will join the bachelor herds.

Males become territorial at the age of 3. Territories are generally 1 to 3.9 sq miles which by most standards is considered quite large. Some of the largest ranges ever observed are 8 sq miles.

Outside of breeding season, gazelles form mixed groups that contain both sexes; during the breeding season, males become territorial, marking their territory with dung and urine. At this time, territories are defended from all the other mature males. This usually begins with threat displays and can escalate to an intense fight between neighboring territorial males. These territorial males will attempt to keep females with their territories with displays but will not venture into the territory of another male when the females leave.

Breeding & Caring for Young:
Reproduction and mating usually peak in the periods December to February and August through September in East Africa.

Gestation is 6.5 months and most females conceive by 1.5 years.

Males begin breeding by the age of 3 if they have successfully gained territory.