As part of one of the largest large mammal reintroduction programmes in the world, the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi (EAD) released for the first time six Dama Gazelles into the Ouadi Rimé – Ouadi Achim Wildlife Reserve (OROAWF) in Chad. One of the three most endangered gazelle species, this latest release is part of an ambitious initiative to increase Dama Gazelle numbers in the wild.
Classified on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as ‘Critically Endangered’ (extreme risk of extinction), with only about 100 Dama Gazelles remaining in the wild in Chad and Niger, the species is on the verge of extinction, and efforts are underway to both preserve and increase wild herd numbers in its natural habitats.
The reintroduction of the Dama Gazelle follows the successful reintroduction programmes for the Scimitar-horned Oryx (SHO) and the Addax in Chad, which are part of an ambitious initiative that aims to establish a healthy and self-sustainable herd in an isolated, 77,950-square kilometre natural protected area within the Ouadi Rimé - Ouadi Achim reserve.
Launched in 2014, the first group of SHO were released into their natural habitat in 2016. The wild herd were monitored to ensure that they were in a good, healthy condition, and able to adapt well to their new surroundings. Today, there are over 630 SHO flourishing in the reserve, with 160 healthy Addax.
The Agency's joint efforts with its SHO reintroduction programme partners in Chad have resulted in improving the species’ conservation status, which was reclassified as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, after having previously been classified as ‘Extinct in the Wild’.
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