nature
Africa's Rarest Antelope Gets Boost as Zoos Send 4 Bongos to Kenya
With fewer than 50 mountain bongos left in the wild, four males flew 4,000 miles home to Kenya to help pull the species back from the brink.
Four mountain bongos, Africa’s rarest species of antelope, have just touched down in Kenya in a major step forward in efforts to save the species from the brink of extinction.
With fewer than 50 remaining in the wild, the historic translocation from European zoos to Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy provides a significant boost to its breeding and rewilding efforts.
Traveling more than 4,000 miles, the four male bongos were bred in European zoos as part of an international conservation breeding program. ( Watch the video at the bottom…)
Found only in Kenya, the mountain bongo is recognizable by its rust red coat with bold white vertical stripes and long spiral horns. Experts say the population losses were a result of poaching, habitat loss, disease, and fragmentation.
The coordinated initiative led by experts at Chester Zoo also involved the Kenya Wildlife Service and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
“This transfer is the result of years of planning—and is a shining example…” said Chester Zoo’s Dr. Nick Davis, who coordinates the conservation breeding program for the Mountain bongo in European zoos.
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“Through expert human care, international collaboration, and a shared commitment to conserving the species in their natural range, we can help secure the long-term future for the mountain bongo.”
After the four male Mountain bongos underwent rigorous veterinary care at the Czech Republic’s Safari Park Dvůr Králové, the animals boarded a KLM cargo plane and were welcomed on April 28 with an arrival ceremony, officiated by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General of Kenya Wildlife Services, Dr. Erustus Kanga, said the four animals will strengthen the genetically diversity of the bongo populations.
“Our focus is not only on increasing numbers, but on restoring functional populations capable of thriving independently in secure habitats across the country… guided by science and a long-term vision for conservation outcomes.”
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