H3_W4_004

Date: 2022

Location: Masai Mara, Kenya

Did you know?

Male Thomson’s Gazelles engage in a duel to win the affection of a female. When fights do occur, two males will lock and crash their horns. Each male will jostle and shove in a show of strength and dominance. Once the winner has been declared, all fights end with a grazing ritual, which begins with both parties first eating while facing one another, then alongside each other, and then facing in opposite directions.

About the picture

These two males seemed to be in a very spirited fight one morning at Masai Mara in 2022. They would spar for a bit, take a break for a few seconds, and then start all over again. So engrossed were they in fighting each other and impressing the females that they didn't care about our presence.

Fun Fact

Female Gazelles with fawns are known to engage in pretense feeding. They lower their head to the ground and pretend to be grazing before suddenly raising their heads back up to scan the vicinity for any movement that could be a predator.