Gazelle husbandry at King Khalid Wildlife Research Center, Riyadh: with special reference to capture and handling

Abstract

In 1987 King Khalid Wildlife Research Center was founded to breed native Arabian species for reintro‐duction into the wild. Husbandry and management problems at the Center necessitated the development of effective capture and restraint techniques so that TB testing, transfer of animals between enclosures and routine veterinary procedures could be carried out. The majority of captures involved gazelle species. such as Saudi goitered or Sand gazelle Gazelh subgutturosa marica, Mountain gazelle Gazella gazella and Thomson's gazelle Gazella thom‐sonii, which are susceptible to stress and can injure themselves during flight response. A number of restraint procedures were used, including chemical immobilization, a drive‐in boma and a trap‐boma, with varying degrees of success. This paper describes the development of an effective drop‐door trap‐boma which could be built in the enclosures. Techniques for handling gazelles, husbandry, enclosure design and diet are also discussed.