Red gazelle

The last animal died in 1894

The Red gazelle is known only from the skins and bones of three male specimens, which are currently housed in museums in Paris and London. The last known individual of this species was likely killed by a hunter in 1894, as there have been no sightings since. The IUCN officially declared the Algerian Gazelle extinct in 1994. However, in 2008, the IUCN changed its status to “data deficient” due to uncertainties about whether it is a valid species.

Other recently extinct African ungulates include the bubal hartebeest, Robert’s lechwe (Kobus leche robertsi), the quagga, and the bluebuck. The Pyrenean ibex is another ungulate that was endemic to the Pyrenees (France, Spain, and Andorra).

Red gazelle – fact sheet

Alternative name	Algerian gazelle, rufous gazelle
Scientific Name	Eudorcas rufina, Gazella rufina
Original range	Algeria, Morocco
Date of extinction	1894
Causes of extinction	unclear, possibly hunting

Red gazelle: A subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle?

The three type specimens of the red gazelle were purchased between 1877 and 1894 at markets in Algiers and Oran, two coastal cities in northern Algeria. This species was never observed in the wild. Therefore, experts speculate whether it was transported from elsewhere in Africa to Algeria. This would mean that the red gazelle might be a subspecies of the red-fronted gazelle (Eudorcas rufifrons). These transport routes through the Sahara are still in use today.

In 2008, an examination of the three museum specimens revealed that one of them belongs to the red-fronted gazelle, which is still native to the African Sahel region. Original descriptions of the red gazelle indicate that it resembled the red-fronted gazelle but was reportedly larger, had heavier hooves, and more pronounced coat color.

Its coat color earned it the name red gazelle

It is believed that this species preferred mountainous terrains over deserts for camouflage reasons. Due to its very intense coat color, it is also known as the red gazelle. The red gazelle was likely native to northern Algeria and Morocco, inhabiting the rainy regions of the northern Atlas Mountains.