This new reproductive group, formed by the male and 3 females, reinforces the important role of the Valencian park in the preservation of the species.
The two young Mohrr males that were born last year will move to other centers within the European conservation program of the largest and possibly most beautiful African gazelle.
Thursday April 23, 2014. Some days ago l BIOPARC Valencia for reproductive purposes a male Mhorr gazelle. It joins the group of gazelles that inhabit the Savannah, three adult females and two young males, sons of the previous ones.
The three females came in February of last year from the Rotterdam zoo (Netherlands): Fiona from 2008, Fleur from 2009 and Sissy from 2012. Two of them arrived pregnant and gave birth. 2 males that will soon be one year old. The important role of these animals will be to become reproductive males of a species extinct in nature that, thanks to the efforts being made in its conservation, has begun to be reintroduced into its natural environment. Furthermore, to obtain a group with sufficient genetic variability to guarantee the survival of the species, it is necessary to avoid inbreeding, so this movement will be carried out in the coming months.
The new male is a young specimen that comes from the Madrid Zoo Aquarium and arrives in order to continue reproducing this species of which only a population of 300 specimens who live in 10 zoological institutions European, 11 North American and 1 South African.
As it is an extinct species, Saharan Fauna Rescue Center (CRFS) maintains the international studbook, as well as the breeding program (EEP) at the European level within which these specimens are found and to which these movements of individuals respond.
With the exception of animals born in captivity, the rest They all descend from a group of 11 gazelles rescued from the Spanish Sahara by Professor JOSÉ ANTONIO VALVERDE, called “the father of Doñana” and who developed important ecological studies on the Spanish Sahara and diverse Mediterranean ecosystems. Thanks to this lineage, Are developing 5 reintroduction initiatives in Morocco (Bou-Hedma National Park and Domaine Royal R'Mila), Senegal (Guembeul Fauna Reserve and Ferlo North Fauna Reserve) and Tunisia (Bou Hedma National Park).
We Valencians have the “privilege” of contemplating the beauty of the Mhorr gazelle in the area that recreates the Savannah, against rhinos, zebras and ostriches. And we also feel proud to know that our Valencian Mohrr males will continue the saga of a species that would have disappeared if it were not for the determination and perseverance of conservationists and centers like Bioparc.
La Mhorr gazelle (Nanger dama mhorr), siendo the largest of these antelopes, is extinct in nature due to indiscriminate hunting and is one of the three subspecies of Dama gazelle that once lived in arid northern Africa.
The Mhorr reach 70 kg in weight, and have long, slender legs, a long neck and characteristic “s”-shaped horns. Its fur is snowy white with a mantle on the neck and back of an elegant reddish brown color. It is distinguished from other lady gazelles because this brown mantle covers its entire back.
