Where does the Thomson's gazelle live?
Thomson's gazelle lives in the savannas and grasslands of East Africa, especially the Serengeti region of Kenya and Tanzania. It prefers short grass on dry, firm ground, but can migrate into tall grass and dense woodland. It is the most common gazelle in East Africa: more than 200,000 can be found.
What does the Thomson's gazelle eat?
It eats mostly fresh grass in the wet seasons, and more browse in the dry seasons, especially woody plants such as acacia. In the Serengeti, it follows the larger herbivores, such as plains zebras and blue wildebeests, which mow down the taller grasses. It is a small, fast antelope: it is said to reach 80 to 90 km/h, making it the fourth-fastest land animal, after the cheetah, its main predator, the pronghorn and the springbok.
Is the Thomson's gazelle endangered?
It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, and the population is estimated at about 550,000. But it declined by 60% between 1978 and 2005. The threats are habitat modification, fire management and road development.
