Queen of Sheba's Gazelle
Encyclopedia
The Queen of Sheba's Gazelle or Yemen Gazelle (Gazella arabica bilkis), is an extinct subspecies
of the Arabian Gazelle
, which is also extinct. It is sometimes regarded as a species in its own right: Gazella bilkis. It was found on the mountains and hillsides in Yemen
but there have been no sightings of the species since 1951, when five specimens were collected in mountains near Ta'izz, where it was reportedly common at the time.
There have been no further specimens, sightings or reports of this gazelle. Surveys in the area of their former occurrence have failed to find any sign of its presence.
In 1985, a photograph of gazelles was taken in a private collection, Al Wabra Wildlife Farm
, in Qatar
. Zoologist Colin Groves claims these could possibly be surviving Queen of Sheba's Gazelles. It is not confirmed that these animals truly belong to this species.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Arabian Gazelle
Arabian Gazelle
The Arabian gazelle was an elusive gazelle that was apparently hunted to extinction in its Middle Eastern homeland, Saudi Arabia. It is only known from a single specimen collected on the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea in 1825...
, which is also extinct. It is sometimes regarded as a species in its own right: Gazella bilkis. It was found on the mountains and hillsides in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
but there have been no sightings of the species since 1951, when five specimens were collected in mountains near Ta'izz, where it was reportedly common at the time.
There have been no further specimens, sightings or reports of this gazelle. Surveys in the area of their former occurrence have failed to find any sign of its presence.
In 1985, a photograph of gazelles was taken in a private collection, Al Wabra Wildlife Farm
Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation
Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation is a privately owned wild life preserve in Qatar. The center is home to roughly 2,000 animals and has a staff of 200. It is one of the leading centers for breeding endangered and threatened species, including the Spix's Macaw, Beira antelope, Golden-headed lion...
, in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
. Zoologist Colin Groves claims these could possibly be surviving Queen of Sheba's Gazelles. It is not confirmed that these animals truly belong to this species.