The subspecies muscatensis and cora have been suggested, but it's never been proved.
Animals of this population (whatever they are!) can still be seen at Blackpool.
Definitely an Arabian Mountain Gazelle (gazella gazella), but the subspecies is difficult to determine and that's when the can of worms opens
Could easily be of the same stock which is currently in Blackpool. It could be G. g. Farasani or even more likely a hybrid, but Maguari, has it really been suggested it could be G. g. muscatensis? That would be something! I have seen only very blurry images of what is just believed be muscatensis, so it's hard to tell. Does anybody know where the original stock came from?
I think these Arabian/mountain Gazelles are the only species of Gazelle they have kept, certainly in recent times. Maguari is correct that Dudley have not had Thompson's Gazelle in recent times, I can go back further to at least since the 1960's- maybe never?
According to the information I have they have had Pallestine Mountain Gazelles (1969 - 1976) and Arabian Mountain Gazelles (1985 - 1989) (1992 - 1997) I can find no other mention of them in any form at all hope this helps everyone
The mountain gazelle will be gone from the UK soon, Blackpool I think are now down to 0.2, and there are very few left in Europe. However, I don't believe there were any dorcas gazelle in the UK for many years until Marwell imported a group, males of which can also now be seen at Chessington, so there are similar gazelle still on show in this country. At least the dorcas are of known subspecific origin.
The last Thompson's gazelles in the UK were either at Cotswold's or Whipsnade, I think both groups had died out by the late 80s.
I remember gazelles with the giraffes in the early 90's but I have no idea what species. For some reason I always believed that they were Thompsons, not got a clue why though!
I must have got the idea from somewhere but it's beyond me now...
S
steenbok
What other European zoos are currently exhibiting Mountain Gazelles, then?
By the way, this 2010 research on the Taxonomy of the Gazella Gazella, extracted the mitochndrial DNA from, among others, hair samples from Blackpool, Bristol, Dudley and Chester. Taking a look at the "likelihood trees" inside the document the Gazelles from Chester apparently have a different origin than those from the other UK zoos. Does anyone have any info about Arabian mountain gazelles (or whatever they were called) from Chester?
Hopefully one day a group of certain origin will be imported...
Sorry to up this photo again but after a visit to Blackpool Zoo and a chat with an old friend from the RSPB who was also visiting the zoo the above picture is definitely a Mountain Gazelle as Dudley zoo only ever had Mountain Gazelle.
