Rhim gazelle

The rhim gazelle, also known as the slender-horned gazelle, sand gazelle, or Loder's gazelle, is a remarkable creature perfectly adapted to desert life. With its pale coat and long, slender horns, it is one of the more striking endangered species, with fewer than 2,500 individuals remaining in the wild. These gazelles primarily inhabit Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, and Sudan.

The name "rhim" derives from Algerian Arabic, while in Tunisia and Egypt, it is called "ghazal abiad" meaning "white gazelle." The rhim gazelle was first described by Frédéric Cuvier in 1842 but was later noted by Edmund Giles Loder, which is why it is also known by the synonym Gazella loderi and commonly referred to as Loder's gazelle.

Recognized as the palest among gazelles, the rhim gazelle possesses a buff or cream-colored upper body with white or pale buff limbs and underparts. Males have slender, slightly S-shaped horns, whereas females have thinner, lighter, and almost straight horns. They thrive in the harsh conditions of the central Sahara Desert, inhabiting sand dunes, depressions, and rocky terrains.

Since the early 1970s, the rhim gazelle has been listed as endangered, facing significant threats from hunting for sport, meat, or horns, as well as poaching, habitat loss, and human encroachment. Conservation efforts are critical, as there may be only 300 to 600 mature individuals left in the wild, earning it the "endangered" status from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In recognition of its significance, the Libyan General Posts and Telecommunications Company, in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), issued a set of postage stamps featuring the rhim gazelle (Gazella leptoceros) on February 1, 1987.