WVL

A historic picture

José Antonio Valverde says on its memories, “Memories of a heterodox biologist”, that it was quite frequent to see mixed groups of mhorr gazelle (Nanger dama mhorr) and Dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas neglecta) sharing the same resources on the 50s and 60s at the former Spanish Sahara territory.

Over 50 years later, and thanks to a reintroduction program that released a group of “mhorr” radio tagged at Safia, we were able to take this historical picture at the Natural Reserve of Safica (located at Aousserd). Again, a group of elegant mhorr and a smart Dorcas gazelle among them. This last one, alert, ready to run away with the smallest movement of the monitoring team. Do not judge the picture for its quality, because it is very hard to get close without being seen or heard. This picture was taken on September, by Ali Lemdimigh.

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Another rare picture was the one captured on August by one camera trap placed on top of the acclimation fence at Safia, at the place where the mhorr were released. On one of them, it is visible a female looking right to the camera and at the far end, another female, this one tagged.

These mhorr have to learn many things from the Dorcas gazelle; the most important, how to run away at the first sense of movement on their surroundings. We are sure that they will improve this run away instinct a little bit rusted for all those years under captivity. They need more time to recognize the true danger that stalk them, pouching. Surveillance troopers work day and night on this reserve to guarantee animals safety.

We need to work as well with the poachers that put in danger the natural inheritance that belongs to their children and grandchildren.

What would be a desert without gazelles?

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