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.”
Since 2004, the Mount Kenya Conservancy has nearly doubled the population of bongos in their care through breeding, habitat management, and deliberate conservation efforts.
“This is an important milestone as we continue to accelerate progress achieved over the years.
“These four male bongos will reinforce the existing population of over 100 individuals and enhance breeding capacity, providing an opportunity to expand our breeding herds and bringing us closer to a future where the mountain bongo once again thrives in the wild.”
The Conservancy Numbers
In 2004, the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy initiated its bongo conservation program with 18 animals already present on site and the importation of a further 18 individuals from various zoos in the United States. Since then, the population has adapted to the Mount Kenya ecosystem and has continued to breed successfully.
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To advance rewilding efforts, it established the Mawingu Sanctuary in 2022 inside the Mount Kenya Forest Reserve—a former natural range of the mountain bongo which is contiguous with Mount Kenya National Park.
The sanctuary provides a secure environment for breeding and gradual reintroduction into the wild. Today, the areas are home to over 100 Mountain Bongos, with more than 20 individuals already released into the sanctuary, making it the largest population of Mountain Bongos in Africa.
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