Procapra gutturosa

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CETARTIODACTYLA	BOVIDAE

Scientific Name:

Procapra gutturosa

Species Authority:

(Pallas, 1777)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Mongolian Gazelle, Dzeren
French	–	Gazelle De La Mongolie
Spanish	–	Gacela De Mongolia

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Mallon, D.P.

Evaluator/s:

Plowman, A. & Mallon, D.P. (Antelope Red List Authority)

Justification:
Population estimates over the last 10 years have ranged from 400,000 to 2,700,000. The taxon is subject to population fluctuations due to disease and effects of severe winter conditions. Illegal hunting is heavy, in addition to the legal annual harvest. However, several recent authorities agree on a figure of approximately 1,000,000 and the range is expanding towards the north-west. Annual monitoring of the status of this species is required as an upsurge in illegal hunting in conjunction with adverse climatic conditions or outbreak of disease could result in a sharp fall qualifying for a classification of Near Threatened or Vulnerable.

History:

2003	–	Least Concern (IUCN 2003)
1996	–	Lower Risk/near threatened (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Occurs in eastern Mongolia and adjacent areas of Russia and north-eastern China. Smaller populations are still found in central and western Mongolia. There is a translocated population on Homin Tal steppe in Zavkhan Province of west-central Mongolia.
Countries:	Native: China; Mongolia; Russian Federation Regionally extinct: Kazakhstan
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	Population estimates over the last 10 years have ranged from 400,000 to 2,700,000. The taxon is subject to population fluctuations due to disease and effects of severe winter conditions. Illegal hunting is heavy, in addition to the legal annual harvest. However, several recent authorities agree on a figure of approximately 1,000,000 in Mongolia, though some experts still believe this figure is much too high. Most of the current population is found in the eastern Mongolian steppes. Smaller populations are found in central and western Mongolia. Some move south into China in winter where up to 250,000 may occur. Around 80,000 are estimated to live year-round in China.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Population:

Population estimates over the last 10 years have ranged from 400,000 to 2,700,000. The taxon is subject to population fluctuations due to disease and effects of severe winter conditions. Illegal hunting is heavy, in addition to the legal annual harvest. However, several recent authorities agree on a figure of approximately 1,000,000 in Mongolia, though some experts still believe this figure is much too high. Most of the current population is found in the eastern Mongolian steppes. Smaller populations are found in central and western Mongolia. Some move south into China in winter where up to 250,000 may occur. Around 80,000 are estimated to live year-round in China.

Population Trend:

Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Inhabits rolling arid steppes and plains. Mongolian gazelle move constantly over their range, except during the rutting and birthing seasons.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Illegal hunting (in addition to the legal harvest) is an increasing threat. The species is harvested for meat and hides. Former tight control in Mongolia has weakened during the last decade and tens of thousands are killed illegally on top of the official harvest. The Ulaanbaatar-Beijing railway is double-fenced and has effectively cut off the smaller populations from the core population in eastern Mongolia. Outbreaks of disease and severe winters result in sporadic heavy mortality.

Major Threat(s):

Illegal hunting (in addition to the legal harvest) is an increasing threat. The species is harvested for meat and hides. Former tight control in Mongolia has weakened during the last decade and tens of thousands are killed illegally on top of the official harvest.

The Ulaanbaatar-Beijing railway is double-fenced and has effectively cut off the smaller populations from the core population in eastern Mongolia. Outbreaks of disease and severe winters result in sporadic heavy mortality.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Occurs in some protected areas in Mongolia but most of the population occurs outside these. Given some legal protection in Mongolia and China, but enforcement is not fully effective. Currently proposed for inclusion on the appendices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

Conservation Actions:

Occurs in some protected areas in Mongolia but most of the population occurs outside these. Given some legal protection in Mongolia and China, but enforcement is not fully effective. Currently proposed for inclusion on the appendices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).

Citation:	Mallon, D.P. 2008. Procapra gutturosa. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 January 2009.
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