A small, high-contrast antelope that looks like it was painted with neat, sharp lines. It’s one of the darkest gazelles, with a rich brown back, a bright white belly, and a bold dark stripe running along each side like a racing stripe. Both males and females carry slender, ridged horns, but the males’ horns are thicker and heavier, curving slightly backwards and giving them a more serious, armoured look.

Their long, narrow faces, big dark eyes, and large ears make them look alert even when they are resting, and when they stand against pale rock or dry grass, the strong colour contrast makes them instantly recognisable. Despite their elegant build, they are tough animals, able to live in hot, dry landscapes with very little surface water.

Unlike the classic image of gazelles racing across open savannah, Cuvier’s gazelle is more of a mountain and hill specialist. It lives in the Atlas Mountains and nearby rocky hills of Morocco, Algeria, Western Sahara and Tunisia, using steep slopes, stony plateaus and patches of open forest and scrub. At dawn and dusk, small groups move to lower ground to graze on grasses and herbs, then retreat upslope during the heat of the day to browse shrubs and rest in the shade of rocks or scattered trees.

They can go long periods without drinking, taking much of their water from the plants they eat. When startled, they perform stiff-legged leaps and sudden, high jumps—sometimes close to two metres straight into the air—while flicking their tails, a showy “I’m fit, don’t bother chasing me” message aimed at predators like jackals or stray dogs.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Algeria

560

Official estimate

VU

2016

Morocco

1,600-3,800

Official estimate

VU

2016

Tunisia

<100

Official estimate

VU

2016