The Thomson’s gazelle is named after Joseph Thomson, a British explorer and geologist. It is found in Kenya’s Masai Mara region and Tanzania’s Serengeti region. It is one of the fastest runners in the world along with the cheetah, the pronghorn and the springbok. It reaches a top speed of around 90-100 km/h.
It is a small-sized, elegant antelope which weighs around 25 kg and stands about half a metre tall. It has white rings around its eyes and black stripes down its face and across its flanks. Its horns curve backwards. Males have longer and stronger horns than the females. It prefers open plains and grasslands and feeds on fresh grass, seeds and scrubs. Mothers are very protective of their young. They will headbutt predators like jackals or baboons if their fawn is threatened. Mothers will often hide their fawns in the tall grasses of the savanna to protect them from predators till they are big enough to feed on the grass.
Its major predators are cheetahs but the Thomson’s gazelle can outlast a cheetah in a long chase. It can take turns while running fast and will zigzag to frustrate the pursuer. It also demonstrates pronking or stotting – leaping high in the air to display strength and to warn predators.
This slender and swift antelope is hunted for its meat and horns and faces additional stress from habitat loss. Fortunately its population in the wild is still stable and it is listed under ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN List.
Picture Credit : Google
