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Species of mammal

The dama gazelle (Nanger dama), also known as the addra gazelle or mhorr gazelle, is a species of gazelle. It lives in Africa, in the Sahara desert and the Sahel. A critically endangered species, it has disappeared from most of its former range due to overhunting and habitat loss, and natural populations only remain in Chad, Mali, and Niger. Its habitat includes grassland, shrubland, semi deserts, open savanna and mountain plateaus. In Niger, the dama gazelle has become a national symbol. Under the Hausa name meyna or ménas, the dama gazelle appears on the badge of the Niger national football team, who are popularly called the Ménas.

The dama gazelle is white with a reddish brown head and neck. Both sexes usually have medium length ringed horns curved like an "S". Males' horns are about long, while females' horns are much shorter. The head is small with a narrow muzzle, and the eyes are relatively large. It has a longer neck and longer legs than most gazelles. It is between tall at the shoulder, weighs between , and has a lifespan up to 12 years in the wild or 18 in captivity. A few days following birth, dama young are strong enough to follow the herd, and after a week, they are able to run as fast as the adults. The dama gazelle is considered the largest species of gazelle, with incredibly long legs, which provide extra surface area to dissipate heat, one of the many ways it stays cool in its hot desert environment. It also tends to need more water than some of its desert relatives, but it can withstand fairly long periods of drought. Unlike many other desert mammals, the dama gazelle is a diurnal species, meaning it is active during the day. Always on the alert, the dama gazelle uses a behavior called pronking to warn herd members of danger. Pronking involves the animal hopping up and down with all four of its legs stiff, so that its limbs all leave and touch the ground at the same time. Males also establish territories, and during breeding season, they actively exclude other mature males. They mark their territories with urine and dung piles and secretions from glands near their eyes.

The dama gazelle is generally divided into three subspecies based on the colour of the animal's back, flanks and haunches. These three subspecies occupied three blocks running along the east–west axis of the gazelle's range. The easternmost is the N. dama ruficollis (common name addra gazelle) whose historical range was to the east of 15°E. The westernmost is the N. dama mhorr (common name mohor or mhorr gazelle) whose historical range was to the west of 7°E. Between the two was the historical range of the N. dama dama. Genetic studies have raised questions over the validity of these subspecies and the variation in colour (phenotype) appears to be clinal. N. d. mhorr, the mhorr gazelle, is extinct in the wild (last known wild sighting was in 1968), but present in captive breeding programs in Europe, North America, North Africa and the Middle East, and several efforts have reintroduced animals into former and similar habitat areas. N. d. dama (nominate subspecies) is only kept in captivity at Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates, and is very rare in the wild.

Another reason for the decline of the dama gazelle is habitat destruction. Humans cut down the branches of the trees on which this gazelle feeds. As a result, the trees die and the gazelle cannot eat. Human threats are the most dangerous of threats to the dama gazelle. The main reason this species of gazelle is endangered is because of mechanized hunting; hunters using vehicles increase its decline. Civil unrest, for instance in Sudan, also negatively affects the life of the dama gazelle. Since the gazelle is already having a hard time surviving, these conditions have made its habitat unsuitable. A potential threat the dama gazelle faces is tourism. Tourists want to take pictures of this endangered species, and in doing so, may be perceived as a threat, especially during the hot season. Another reserve for the mhorr subspecies was set up in Chad, the Ouadi Rime Ouadi Achime Faunal Reserve. Several hundred additional animals that are not managed as part of the studbooks are kept privately, especially in Texas. Few substantial in situ conservation efforts have been mounted due to the political situation in their currently fragmented habitat. The survival of this species in the wild depends on more reserves being created in the Sahelian and Saharan zones and better protection in the reserves that do exist. 24 gazelles were released in a semi enclosed facility, seven of which were monitored with telemetry collars. During the course of the project, animals experienced a poaching event, resulting in the deaths of three animals. Additionally, seven animals were killed by domestic dogs from nearby military outposts, suggesting that the animals do not recognize potential predators. This milestone project proved that reintroduction of wild animals in this part of the world is extremely difficult despite the favorable sentiment of the majority of local communities.