Gazelle
Gazella

A gazelle is an antelope of the genus Gazella. Gazelles are known as swift animals; they can reach speeds of up to 100 km/hour, and maintain speeds of 50 km/h for a long time. Gazelles are mostly found in the grasslands and savannas of Africa, but also in south-west Asia.

They live in large herds and eat grass. A stereotypical gazelle is Thomson's Gazelle (Gazella thomsonii), which is around 60 to 90 cm in height at the shoulder and is coloured brown and white with a distinguishing black stripe. The males have long, often curved, horns. Tommy's, as they are familiarly called, exhibit a distinctive behaviour of stotting (that is running slowly and jumping high before fleeing) when they are threatened by predators such as lions or cheetahs.

There are several different varieties of common and rare gazelle at the park.