Storyful
6-Legged Gazelle Spotted in Israel
A six-legged gazelle has been observed in Israel’s Negrev region, with a local conservationist noting that the animal had not only “survived as a fawn against all odds,” but also “managed to mature and obtain a prime territory with a harem.”Amir Balaban, a member of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, has described his footage as the first documentation of a living six-legged endangered mountain gazelle.“This unique individual has not only survived as a fawn against all odds, it has managed to mature and obtain a prime territory with a harem of four females in Israel’s Western Negev,” Balaban told Storyful.According to Balaban, the gazelle exhibits a rare hereditary disorder known as polymelia, characterized by the presence of additional limbs at birth. In this instance, the gazelle developed an extra pair of front legs protruding from its back.“It is very impressive to see how well adapted this handicapped gazelle survived and reached adulthood with a large territory and a harem of females,” Balaban said.Mountain gazelles are a protected species in Israel, with some 5,000 left in the wild, according to the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. Credit: Amir Balaban/The Wildlife Channel via Storyful
