An African grassland gazelle with a bold dark stripe along each side.
A black stripe separates the reddish-brown back from the white belly. A pale stripe runs from the eye toward the nose.
In Tanzania’s northern Tarangire Ecosystem, Thomson’s gazelles were more likely to be recorded near settlements where livestock herders live. From 2012 to 2018, researchers surveyed 213 one-kilometre transects across Tarangire National Park, Manyara Ranch Conservancy and Lolkisale Game Controlled Area in different seasons. They recorded six ungulate species, including 83 detections of Thomson’s gazelle herds. Gazelles were recorded more often near settlements and less often where woody plants were denser.
The authors suggested that settlements might offer some protection from predators. They also raised another possibility: nutrient-rich grassland may occur near settlements. Because grass height was not measured, the reason for the settlement pattern remains unresolved.
IUCN Red List (status displayed on the Mammal Diversity Database species page) · Least Concern (LC) · Global (Eudorcas thomsonii)
The Mammal Diversity Database lists the global IUCN category of Thomson’s gazelle as Least Concern (LC). IUCN’s official 2018-2 status-change table records a change from Near Threatened (NT) to Least Concern (LC). This category applies globally and does not describe every local population. The Tarangire study examined habitat use in one part of Tanzania; it did not assess global extinction risk or population change.