Sometimes referred to as ‘Tommy’, this gazelle was named after the Scottish explorer, Joseph Thomson who explored Africa in 1890.

These graceful antelopes are still one of the most common gazelles in East Africa and although numbers may have declined in other parts of Africa, the Thomson’s Gazelle still thrives on farmland, grasslands and savannas in the East. Find out more!

Thomson’s Gazelles are found on dry, grassy plains in Sudan, Tanzania and the serengeti areas of Kenya. They prefer grasslands and shrubby steppes with heavily grazed, trampled grass. The gazelles can remain on pastures long after larger herbivores have left.

Thomson’s Gazelles are herbivores. Thomson’s Gazelles feed upon grass and other low vegetation. They will also browse on shrubs. Most of their required water comes from the vegetation they eat although they rely more on water than the Grant’s Gazelle.

Thomson’s Gazelles gather in large herds to feed, perhaps because of safety in numbers. They will also congregate with wildebeests, zebra and cattle as these larger animals will trample tall grasses making it much easier for the gazelle to eat the short grass.

When a gazelle spots a stalking predator, it will pronk or stott to alert other gazelles to the danger and can also startle their predator. Another possibility for this behaviour is that it demonstrates their fitness in hope that the predator will give up the chase or that the predator should not bother trying to chase the obviously agile gazelle.