Bongo
Bongo
-
Class
Mammalia -
Order
Artiodactyla -
Familly
Bovidae
-
1,30m to withers
-
♂ 250-400kg, ♀ 210-250kg
-
9 months
-
1
-
20 years
-
Diet
herbivorous (leaves, grass) -
Habitat
tropical forest -
Range
central and western Africa - This species is part of a European Breeding Program
-
Population in the wild
En diminution -
IUCN REDLIST status
Bongos are the largest of all African forest antelopes. Mainly active at dawn and dusk, they generally live in groups of 2–8. At the hottest times of day they rest and ruminate deep within the thick tropical forest, making it difficult to observe them.
Although they mainly eat leaves, breaking branches with their horns, they regularly head for salt marshes and swampy clearings to procure vegetation that is rich in the minerals vital to their diet.
Both males and females have horns, unusually for antelopes of the Tragelaphus genus.
This species is classified ‘near-threatened’ on the IUCN Red List because of the constant decline in its numbers due to the destruction of its habit and to the trade in bush meat. The subspecies Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci is classified as "Critically Endangered" with less than a hundred individuals left in the wild.