The Eretz Israel Zvi, a.k.a. Mountain Gazelle (Gazella gazella), a.k.a Palestine mountain gazelle is one of the few mammals in which both sexes have horns. Males have significantly larger horns with rings around them. Females have horns, too, but they are thinner and shorter. Talk about a glass ceiling. Along with the horns, mountain gazelles are sexually dimorphic, meaning that males are larger than females. A wild male’s weight can reach 65 lbs. while females can be as high as 55 lbs. These gazelles can reach running speeds of up to 50 mph.
On a glorious Monday morning, a herd of these beautiful animals was grazing outside Midreshet Ben-Gurion in kibbutz Sde Boker in the Negev. Credit: Mickey Volkita Nature and Parks Authority.
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