Why is the Przewalski’s Gazelle Critically Endangered?
Examine the survival of the Przewalski's gazelle, a rare ungulate whose future in its limited habitat is shaped by landscape changes and targeted protection.
The Przewalski’s gazelle is a highly threatened species found only in China. Its population fell to fewer than 300 individuals in the 1990s. While conservation has helped its official status improve from Critically Endangered to Endangered on the IUCN Red List, numerous threats continue to jeopardize its existence.
Distinctive Features and Habitat
The Przewalski’s gazelle is a small antelope, with a shoulder height between 50 and 70 centimeters. It has a sandy brown coat that blends with its arid surroundings, a white underbelly, and a distinct heart-shaped white patch on its rump. Males are distinguished by their lyre-shaped horns that curve backward. While often confused with the Tibetan gazelle, it is physically smaller and has a different horn structure.
This gazelle is endemic to the grasslands surrounding Qinghai Lake on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in China. While its historical range was much broader, the species is now restricted to this single region. The gazelle’s diet consists of local sedges and grasses. By feeding on the tender parts of plants, such as buds and leaves, they avoid damaging the root structures.
Primary Threats to Survival
The primary driver of the gazelle’s decline is habitat fragmentation. The installation of perimeter fencing for livestock has carved its open habitat into isolated patches. These fences create physical barriers that prevent gazelles from accessing seasonal grazing areas and escaping predators like the gray wolf. Gazelles are often injured or killed when attempting to leap over these fences.
Competition with domestic sheep for forage is another pressure. The expansion of livestock grazing forces the gazelles to compete for limited food, particularly during harsh winters. This issue is compounded by the loss of habitat to agricultural development, which has steadily encroached upon the grasslands.
Conservation Efforts and Future Outlook
Conservation initiatives are underway to protect the gazelle. The establishment of the Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve provides a protected area for the species. Chinese law now protects the gazelle, and anti-poaching measures have been effectively enforced, reducing illegal hunting to a negligible threat. These efforts contributed to a population increase, with estimates reaching over 2,800 individuals by 2022.
Current conservation work focuses on mitigating habitat fragmentation. Projects are modifying or removing fencing in corridors to restore landscape connectivity, allowing for gene flow between isolated subpopulations. Researchers and volunteers monitor population dynamics and work with local herders to find solutions, like lowering fence heights. Establishing drinking water points and managing plastic waste are also part of the strategy to secure the gazelle’s future.