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Rare six-legged gazelle spotted in Israel
A rare six legged mountain gazelle has been spotted in Israel. The male gazelle has an extra pair of legs growing from its back, but wildlife experts say it seems to be managing fine with the extra appendages.
The discovery was made by an Israeli army reservist who, in late March, spotted and then sent a photo of the bizarre looking creature to the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), an environmental non-profit organization, after noticing that it had “something strange on its back,” according to the SPNI.
Amir Balaban/SPNI
Amir Balaban, a conservationist for SPNI, said in a news release shared with CBS News that the six-legged gazelle had “survived a complex litter and survived as a young individual, dealt with many predators that endanger young fawns, matured single and as an adult managed to lead an impressive life in the Nahal HaBasor reserve.”
The nature reserve sits in Israel’s southern Negev desert, just a few miles from the war-torn Gaza Strip. SPNI called it “one of the most important remaining strongholds for the Israeli gazelle in the western Negev, especially during the recent war.”
“Contrary to expectations, the gazelle is healthy, strong, and has three female gazelles and a fawn from the previous fall. He has been seen hosting the females in the fields and the extra legs on his back pose no challenge to him,” Balaban said.
SPNI attributed the gazelle’s extra legs to a rare genetic disorder called organ proliferation, or polymelia.
Amir Balaban/SPNI
The animal’s genetic abnormality was most likely hereditary, Balaban said. According to SPNI, it occurrs frequently in cattle, birds and reptiles, but this is the first known instance of polymelia being documented in a mountain gazelle in the Middle East.
Mountain gazelles are a protected wild species in Israel. There are estimated to be only around 5,000 gazelles of the endangered species remaining in the wild.
While mountain gazelles can be found mostly in Israel, they live across the region and can also be spotted in the Palestinian territories, Turkey, and parts of Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.
In her 2013 cookbook, “Home Cooking For Your Dog: 75 Holistic Recipes For a Healthier Dog” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), behavioral nutritionist Christine Filardi, founder of BowMeowRaw, offers suggestions for homemade cooking for your furry companion. She presents “Sunday Morning” viewers her recipe for Friday Playdate Pizza.
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
She writes: “Every Friday evening during the summer, I have a tradition at my house. I invite my friends and family over for pizza and wine on the porch, to watch the sunset and enjoy the nice summer evening. Over the years, this has also become a great opportunity to get all our dogs together, too. Since I love making my own pizza, I came up with this easy dog-friendly recipe so the dogs could join in the Friday night fun, too.
“The pizza comes out best if you have a baking stone since this allows the crust to cook evenly, but if you don’t have one you can use a cookie sheet and your dog probably won’t complain.”
Friday Playdate Pizza
Makes 2 servings for a 50-pound dog
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked grits
1 pound ground beef
8 ounces canned unseasoned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Coat a pizza stone or baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Prepare the grits according to the package directions and set them aside to cool for about 20 minutes. You should have about 2 cups of cooked grits.
Using a spatula, evenly spread the cooked grits onto the greased pizza stone or baking sheet. Evenly spread the beef on top of the grits to make the second layer. Next, add the artichoke hearts and top with the cheese.
Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes, until the meat is browned. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes.
Chop the pizza into bite-size pieces.
To make one serving, refer to column 1 of the feeding chart below, and measure in cups according to your dog’s weight. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
“Home Cooking For Your Dog”
From “Home Cooking For Your Dog: 75 Holistic Recipes For a Healthier Dog” by Christine M. Filardi, with Dr. Wayne Geltman, DVM, published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang. Reprinted with permission.
For more info:
Check out the “Sunday Morning” 2024 “Food Issue” recipe index
In her 2013 cookbook, “Home Cooking For Your Dog: 75 Holistic Recipes For a Healthier Dog” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), behavioral nutritionist Christine Filardi, founder of BowMeowRaw, offers suggestions for homemade cooking for your furry companion. She presents “Sunday Morning” viewers her recipe for Ground Turkey, Quinoa, and Carrots.
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
She writes: “Quinoa is one of my favorite carbs to make for my dogs. They love it and I can also make a lot at once, as it lasts for several days. With four dogs, it’s hard to have any leftovers, but quinoa is very easy to buy, make, and store in bulk. For added variety I also cook red quinoa and tricolor quinoa.”
Ground Turkey, Quinoa, and Carrots
Makes 4 servings for a 50-pound dog
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ground turkey
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup chopped carrot
Instructions:
In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the turkey and cook until it is browned. Drain any excess fat and set the turkey aside to cool.
Cook the quinoa as directed on the package and set it aside. You should have about 2 cups.
Puree the carrot in a food processor. You should have about ¼ cup of carrot puree.
To make one serving:
1 1/3 cups cooked turkey
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 Tablespoon pureed carrots
In your dog’s bowl, combine the turkey, quinoa, and carrot puree and mix well to combine. Refer to the feeding chart below, columns 2, 3, and 4, and adjust accordingly to your dog’s size. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
“Home Cooking For Your Dog”
From “Home Cooking For Your Dog: 75 Holistic Recipes For a Healthier Dog” by Christine M. Filardi, with Dr. Wayne Geltman, DVM, published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang. Reprinted with permission.
For more info:
Check out the “Sunday Morning” 2024 “Food Issue” recipe index
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