Abracadabra? No, Addra gazelle (Nanger dama ruficollis).
This striking gazelle is native to the Sahara Desert in Africa where it moves seasonally to find food: the scrub land in the dry season and the desert in the wet season. They are able to stand on their hind legs, while bracing against a tree to eat acacia leaves out of the reach of other gazelles. They also graze on grasses and are able to ingest most of the water they need to survive from their plant diet.
Addra gazelles live in small mixed herds and rely on their speed, camouflage (brown on the top and white underneath) and the herd to survive being preyed upon by big cats and hyenas. Addra gazelles are listed as critically endangered due to poaching, over-hunting and habitat destruction. It is thought there are less than 400 left in the wild. A pair of Addra gazelles call the Zoo’s multi-species Africa! exhibit home. Pay them a visit when the weather warms up!
