INTER-EMIRATES GAZELLE CENSUS

Most
of the larger mammals of the UAE have suffered drastic declines in recent
decades, with several species now believed to be extinct. One welcome exception
is the mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella cora) which is known to survive
both in the mountains of the northern Emirates and in the desert of Abu
Dhabi and Dubai. They are more frequently seen in the desert than in the
mountains but this may have more to do with the terrain than the actual
numbers. The taxonomy of gazelles in the Middle East is complex and confusing,
but is now being clarified with the help of genetic studies. The gazelles
we are concerned with here have in the past been called Arabian gazelle
(Gazella gazella arabica) but this is now considered to be synonymous with
G.g. cora. The gazelles in the mountains are smaller and darker than those
in the desert but they are believed to be of the same subspecies. To avoid
confusion we should call them all mountain gazelle.

As so little was known about this important population of gazelles,
the Committee of the Emirates Natural History Group decided that a coordinated
census would be a very worthwhile exercise. The dhabi of Abu Dhabi, and
the Emirate’s largest land mammal, surely merits a little attention from
the country’s resident naturalists.

Accordingly, on 22 March about 80 members from the three Natural History
Groups, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Al-Ain, got together to carry out a census
of the gazelles in the desert bounded by the Abu Dhabi to Dubai road, the
Dubai to Al-Ain road and the Al-Hayer-Sweihan-Abu Dhabi road. This is an
area of a little over 3000 sq km. The census was carried out by driving
a series of parallel routes, following the lines of the dunes to simplify
the driving, from west southwest to east northeast. Each route was covered
by a pair of 4-wheel drive vehicles, each with two to four people on board.
There was a total of 17 routes, but only 14 pairs of vehicles, so three
pairs drove two transects.

Everyone said that they enjoyed the experience and I think we all learned
a lot from it. The majority of people saw at least one gazelle, and as
many as 12 were sighted by one team. All were believed to be mountain gazelle.The
21 locations marked on the map represent sightings of individuals and groups
of up to six sighted on the day. Census results support previous observations
indicating that the greatest density of gazelles occurs in a centra l area
but that they are also to be found in lower numbers well outside this cental
core.

Fresh tracks were seen in many places, sometimes many kilometres from
where the nearest gazelle was sighted. In fact the total area shown to
be used by gazelles is very large – 75 km across by about 40 km wide. It
must be fair to say that gazelles are utilizing virtually the entire study
area with the exception of the immediate vicinity of camel camps, plantations
and palm groves. The latter are mainly on the eastern edge, adjacent to
the Dubai to Al-Ain road. On the whole the gazelles were not particularly
nervous, sometimes stopping to look at the vehicles for a few seconds before
taking off. This suggests that they are not being hunted and have bcome
relatively tolerant of man. As there are now virtually no natural predators
in this area, it is reasonable to hope that the numbers will increase.

The total number of gazelles seen on the census was 53, but as three
of these could have been counted twice by adjacent teams of observers,
we have to reduce this to 50. There was an unexpected bonus at the end
of the day when a member of the group on the way back to the Al Shatie
Palace Hotel spotted two more gazelles only 100 m from the main road, between
Samha and Ras Ghantoot. This was well away from where any others had been
seen earlier in the day, so we can safely conclude that 52 different animals
were counted on the day.

Extrapolating to cover the area of land which was not covered by any
route, and the amount of dead ground, we can safely say that the total
number of gazelles seen will represent a maximum of one third of the actual
number present. In other words there has to be at least 150 gazelles present
and the figure could be significantly higher.

One of the objectives of the census was to determine the maximum range
of the gazelle population. Another was to carry out a count in a systematic
manner which could be repeated. Both objectives have been accomplished
very successfully. It would be extremely interesting to repeat the census
every few years in order to monitor the population. By carrying out a similar
exercise it should be possible to determine any significant changes in
range and numbers. The results are therefore important and useful, but
perhaps the greatest benefit was the opportunity for many members of the
three natural history groups to get together, to enjoy each others’ company
and to know that they are making a significant contribution to our knowledge
of the natural history of UAE. I would like to thank everyone who took
part and helped in a variey of ways and the rescue teams who stood by in
the event of problems but whose services, thankfully, were not required.