They signal alarm by a snort or flick of the tail, and the herd reactions is to withdraw to a safe distance. Their horns are used for display during courtship. Mating takes place in the fall with a five month gestation period. Young, often twins, are on their feet within minutes of being born. In the wilds, the young would lie out in shrubs or high grass while the mother foraged in the open.
Mothers call their young to nurse with a snorting sound.
In 1972, slender-horned gazelles were declared endangered by the IUCN with only 10 known alive, and those in captivity. The Living Desert's cooperation in the captive breeding program to save this critically endangered species has been a huge success. Many have been relocated to other zoos to insure genetic diversity.