Mongolian gazelle

몽골가젤

A gazelle of the open steppes of Mongolia and northern China, marked by a white rump patch. Herds of tens of thousands roam huge distances in search of fresh grass, and the animals can sprint at close to 60 km/h.

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At a glance

Class: Mammals
Lives in: Steppes of Mongolia and northern China
Diet: Plant eater (herbivore)
Weight: about 30 kg
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN LC)
Habitat: grasslands

Quick answers

Where does the Mongolian gazelle live?

It lives in grasslands. On the globe you can find it near Steppes of Mongolia and northern China.

How big is the Mongolian gazelle?

It grows to about 30 kg.

What does the Mongolian gazelle eat?

Its diet: plant eater (herbivore).

Is the Mongolian gazelle endangered?

It is listed as Least Concern (IUCN LC).

The Mongolian gazelle, also called the dzeren, is a medium-sized antelope of the dry grasslands of Central Asia. It lives in Mongolia, southern Siberia and northern China, and about 91 percent of its range lies in Mongolia. It is listed as Least Concern.

It is easy to spot from behind, thanks to a heart-shaped white patch on its rump. It is a very capable long-distance runner and even a good swimmer, and it roams the open steppe in large herds. Almost all of its range lies in Mongolia, with smaller parts in China and Russia. Herds roam huge distances across the open grassland, so wide, unfenced steppe matters a lot to the animal.

Home on the steppe

Mongolian gazelles live in cold, semi-dry, temperate steppe and desert steppe, on flat or rolling ground with patches of plants. Their total range covers roughly 746,000 square kilometres. They move a lot, and big migrations happen in spring and autumn, following fresh grass. In winter they are mostly active during the day. Spring and autumn are the main migration times, though the distance and direction vary. In summer they are most active shortly after sunrise and just before sunset.

How to recognise one

In summer the coat is tawny light brown with pinkish tones. In winter it grows thicker, longer and paler, giving the animal a fluffy, teddy-bear look compared with sleek true gazelles. Males carry lyre-shaped horns that curve backwards. Although called gazelles, dzeren, Tibetan gazelles and Przewalski's gazelle belong to their own genus, Procapra. About 91 percent of its range is in Mongolia, 5 percent in China and 4 percent in Russia.

Fun facts

Mongolian gazelles roam the open steppe in herds that can number in the thousands.
The word dzeren is the Russian spelling of a Buryat name for the animal.
Its face looks a bit like a Chinese water deer's rather than a true gazelle's.
It can swim as well as run.