Mongolian Gazelle

(Gazella gutturosa), also zeren, an ungulate of the genus Gazella of the family Bovidae. The body is slender and well-proportioned. The animal measures 105-150 cm long and 54-84 cm high at the shoulder and weighs 20-39 kg. Only the males have horns, which have numerous ring-like bulges. The Mongolian gazelle is distributed predominantly in Central Asia. In the USSR it is found primarily in the southeastern Altai. The animal prefers steppes and semideserts and feeds on herbaceous plants, mainly Leymus ramosum and wormwood. The animals live in small herds of 20-30 individuals, but during migration periods they form herds of up to several hundred individuals. The female gives birth to one or two young in May to early June. The Mongolian gazelle is hunted for its flesh, hide, and horns, and its numbers are rapidly diminishing.