Paignton Zoo is home to three Eastern mountain bongos: females Ada and Koffi, and male Bowie.
One of the largest forest antelopes, the Eastern mountain bongo can today only be found in a remote mountainous area of central Kenya.
They are browsers that eat a range of leaves, plants, grasses and fungi.
Interesting facts!
- Bongos are often found in small groups of females, led by one dominant male. Both females and males of this species have the large, spiral horns.
- The beautiful chestnut-red colour coat of the bongo also has white vertical stripes, which are said to help with camouflage.
- After a gestation period of around 9 months, a female gives birth to a single calf.
Conservation
The Eastern mountain bongo is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Native to the montane forests of central Kenya, their population has plummeted to fewer than 100 individuals in the wild, scattered across isolated forest patches such as the Aberdares, Mount Kenya, and the Mau Forests
Major threats include habitat loss from illegal logging and agriculture, disease transmission from livestock, and poaching. Conservation efforts are ongoing, including habitat protection, anti-poaching patrols, and a breeding and reintroduction program aimed at restoring wild populations.
Our bongos are involved in the EAZA ex-situ breeding programme for this Critically Endangered species.