Animal Research International (2017) 14(1): 267 6 – 2682 2676 S TATUS OF DORCAS GAZELLE ( GAZELLA DORCAS ) IN THE AREA SOUTH OF GREEN MOUNTAIN , LIBYA IN 2007: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE 1,2 ALGADAFI, Walid, 2 YOUNG, Christopher Hug h , 2 BESENYEI, Lynn, 2 TOBIN, Catherine Mary and 3 IFHIMA, Joma 1 Department of Environmental Sciences and Wildlife Conservation , Omar AL Mukhtar University, El - Beida, Libya. 2 School of Biology, Chemistry and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1LY, Un ited Kingdom. 3 Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Omar AL Mukhtar University, El - Beida, Libya. Corresponding Author: Algadafi, W. Department of Environmental Sciences and Wildlife Conservation , Omar AL Mukhtar University, El - Beida, Libya. Email: [email protected] Phone: +218 913820455 ABSTRACT Threats to Dorcas gazelle were examined and the rate of decrease in population was estimated in the area south of the Green Mountain in North - East Libya. The results were collected from questionnaires and focal interviews. All previous studies had reported significant decreased in Dorcas gazelle population throughout Libya during the last years of the twentieth century. The results show ed that Dorcas gazelle continues to exist but in very low numbers. The number of groups of gazelle has decreased and the est imated rate of decline has increased to between 60 and 90 % in 2007. The decline has been noticeable with typical herd sizes of approximately 50 – 100 gazelle being reported before 1970, 10 – 15 gazelle seen in the 1970s, 5 – 10 gazelle in the 1980s and fr om the 1990s onwards, group sizes of only 3 or fewer gazelles. Shared use of habitat with domestic sheep and predators does not appear to be detrimental to Dorcas gazelle, but the main threat for this animal is humans, who lack awareness of its natural val ue. Some respondents believed that Dorcas gazelle had left their habitat and migrated to other safe areas, but this study showed that the number of Dorcas gazelle was decreasing rapidly, mainly because of overhunting. Further research is needed into the cu rrent distribution and numbers of surviving Dorcas gazelle. Aerial and ground surveys of areas of potential habitat should be carried out to establish the current status and distribution. There is an urgent need for the implementation of management program me to conserve the gazelle involving the participation of local people . Keywords: Gazella dorcas , Green Mountain , North - East Libya, Questionnaire survey, Conservation, H unting I NTRODUCTION Libya. It is considered to be an extreme habitat generalist among gazelle species as it inhabits a The Dorcas gazelle ( Gazella dorcas ) is the smallest great variety of dry habitats especially flat gravel - gazelle species that belongs to the B ovine family plains or mixed gravel and dune areas although it and the A ntelope subfamily ( Groves, 1988; Corbet seems to avoid very sandy areas (Mallon and and Hill, 1991 ) and is one of the national symbols of Kingswoo d, 2001), dry wadis and plateaux (Baharav ISSN: 1597 – 3115 ARI 2017 14(1): 267 6 – 2682 www.zoo - unn.org Algadafi et al. 2677 and Mendelssohn, 1976 ), open dry areas and MATERIALS AND METHODS uninhabited oasis - type depressions (O sborn and Helmy, 1980). P revious ly, it was the most Study Area: The study area is located in North - widespread and common ungulate species East Libya , south of G reen M ountain , also called throughout most of North Africa countries ( Mallon Alja bal al Akhdar . Geographically the study area and Kingswood, 2001 ; El Alqamy and El Din, 2006; included Kwlan, Wadi El Mahaga , Ceede Muhame Lafontaine et al . , 2006 ; Chammem et al . , 2008; Hamri, Suluntah, C andula and Mraw a h in the North , Abaigar et al . , 2013; Attum et al . , 2014 ). Historically and includes Al Kharoba, Am Algazallan, Al kwemat , Dorcas gazelle was the most common gazelle in Bulat Mhraz, Bulat Alraml and B ulat Borkaes in the Libya and was seen in herds of up to 100 . Despite south. The study area is bordered to the east by the legal protection in Libya, the wild population of El Mek h ili area, and on the west by Taknis v illage D orcas gazelle is experiencing a dr astic reduction and the Ga rd a s Al Abed area . The area lies between across its rang e largely due to illegal hunting . latitudes 32°33’ and 31 ° 45’ N, and longitudes Additionally, other human activities, such as 22° 21’ and 21°04 ’ E (Figures 1 a, b ). livestock grazing, agriculture and growth of settlement s (especially around new wells ) reduced the s pace available for this species . The potential for natural recovery of populations is further compromised by disturbance from motorized vehicles and the effects of ongoing social conflicts and political instability in some areas of its range ( Mallon and Kingswood, 2001 ; Chammem et al . , 20 08 ). These issues are not unique to Dorcas gazelle and many of these are problems faced by g azelle populations in arid environments worldwide (Newby, 1990 ; Attum et al . , 2014 ) . As a result of these pressur e s , the D orcas gazelle is glo bally classified as v ulnerable by the IUCN ( 201 6 ) refle cting its severe global decline and i n Libya , the Figure 1(a): General location of the study area in D orcas gazelle is classified as e ndangered under Libya IUCN criteria (Mallon and Kingswood, 2001; Frost, 2014). Nonetheless, the relative importance of the various factors which determine the distribution and abundance of Dorcas gazelle, including the availability of habitat and a range of human factors, is not clear (C hammem et al . , 2008) and i n some areas these factors are completely unknown ( Montfort , 2003 ). The aim of this study was to assess the status of the Dorcas gazelle in one part of its range in North - East Libya in the period running up to the current political instability in 2007 . Figure 1(b): Location of the study area south of Green Mountain Animal Research International (2017) 14(1): 267 6 – 2682 Status of Dorcas gazelle in the area south of Green Mountain, Libya 2678 The estimated size of the study area is almost the questionnaire was read and their responses 1 6, 716 km 2 and the human population is estimated were written down by one of the authors . P rior to to be 600.000. The habitats in the study area are the full survey a pilot survey was undertaken to test varied, semi - arid steppe grassland s with an annual the validity of the questionnaire. rainfall of 219 mm in the north and arid dry desert Given the lack of detailed Dorcas gazelle records in with an annual rainfall of 30 mm in the south. this region, the main target of the study was local Around 75 % of the rainfall falls during the winter people who reside in areas within the gazelle’s season (EL - Barasi et al . , 2013) . The study area is known range. The respondents belonged to these one of the most important pastoral areas in the categories: hunters or other individuals interested in north eastern part of Libya. It is a part of a zone hunting, interested individuals who live near to with intensive human activities mainly in the form of where Dor cas gazelle are found and conservation agriculture ( so locally leading to overgrazing ), organisations or other individuals interested in mechanization and mining. D omestic animals wildlife conservation. These people were given the constitute approximately 1,228,255 head ( livestock questionnaire to complete, or else interviewed, in and camels ) with a long history of such land uses order to establish the current status of gazelle and (EL - Barasi et al . , 2013) in the area . identify the locations and numbers of gazelle The vegetation is generally dominated by sighted. The questionnaire also explored the patches of short perennial grasses , such as perceived factor responsible for the decline in Sarcop o terium spinosum, Stipa capensis, Pituranthos gazelle numbers, the economic value of the gazelle tortuosus, Peg anum harmala, Periploca angu stifolia and to the respondents. In addition to the Thymel a ea hirsut a . There are some widely - scattered questionnaire, secondary data was gather ed from herbaceous plant species such as Rhamnus oleoides , literature searches of existing written records and Ziz i phus lotus, Thymus capitatus, Artemisia herba - alba , data sets. Juniperus phoenicea, Rhamnus tripartita , R e tam a r a etam, Suaeda mollis, Urginea maritima , Capparis spinosa and Data Analysis : Data collected from t he questionnaire Matricaria chamomilla (SWECO, 1986) . and interviews were converted where possible to As for wild animals in the r egion, there are percentages for ease of use and comparison. The data many mam mals, birds and reptiles . I n addi tion to was analysed using the SPSS software package to test Gazella dorcas, notable among the mammals are the reliability of the combined data base for the core Canis aureus , Hyaena hyaena , Lepus capensis (relevant) questions and to see the extent of the effect of arabicus, Hystrix cristata , Hemiechin us auritus and the influencing factors (independent variables) on the Jaculus jaculus . Similarl y , there is a highly rate of decrease of the g azelle (y) (dependent variable). specialized bird fauna including species such as The factors examin ed were : overhunting (X 1 ), a lack of Alectoris b arbara and Chlamydotis undulata . natural habitat (lack of food and water) (X 2 ), urbanization (X ), hunting at inappropriate times (X ), acquisition of R eptiles s uch as Cerastes vipera , Testudo 3 4 hunting tools and of modern means of transportation (X ) ibera, Varanus gr is eus, L ecerta muralis and Mabuya 5 and a lack of awareness of the environmental value of the vittata are also present .