Six - Leg Gazele:A Rare Genetic Mavel

Six-legged gazelle born with rare genetic defect spotted in Israel’s south
Sighting marks first time the polymelia disorder has been seen in the endangered Israeli mountain gazelle, of which there are fewer
than 5,000 in the wild
In a rare discovery last month, a six-legged gazelle with an unusual genetic defect was spotted by an IDF reservist traversing the Western Negev region.

Nir Leichter, who came across the gazelle two weeks ago while stopping for coffee along the Nahal Habesor riverbed, took a photo of the animal after noticing “something strange on its back.”

He reached out to a member of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Amir Balaban, for answers about his sighting.
According to Balaban’s field investigation, it turned out that this gazelle has a rare, hereditary genetic disorder, polymelia, in which the affected animal is born with extra limbs. In the case of this particular gazelle, an extra set of front legs grew from its back.

“Polymelia is a known but very rare phenomenon,” said a spokesperson for the organization. “It is known in cattle, poultry and reptiles, and this is the first time it is documented in an Israeli gazelle.”

Although polymelia can often cause lasting health complications in animals, Balaban reported that the extra legs do not pose a challenge for this male gazelle, who appeared healthy and strong.

“I saw him [the gazelle] while he was watching a harvested field and waiting for the females. They were very timid and it was impossible to get close, but little by little, I was able to shorten the distance in order to record this special deer. They moved further up the field, lying down and resting in the gentle heat of the rising sun,” said Balaban.

An endangered species, the mountain gazelle faces an existential threat from human construction, particularly that of roads, which often threatens its natural habitats and ecological corridors, isolating them from their own kind.

Poachers, who hunt the gazelle for its meat, and natural predators like stray dogs and jackals that have proliferated in recent years, pose an additional threat to the species’ survival.

“The situation of the mountain gazelle in Israel is not a fortunate one, and according to estimates, there are only about 5,000 gazelles of this species left in the wild,” said the Society for Protection of Nature.

The organization added that the mountain gazelle is protected under Israeli law, and that Israel serves as the “last stronghold of this species,” which was historically found across the Levant.
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