The Mountain Bongo

The mountains of Kenya harbor an array of fauna and flora found nowhere else on earth. The largely forested mountainsides are important water catchments, feeding many rivers and serving as fresh water resources for much of the country. The ever growing human population in Kenya is placing greater demands on the country’s natural resources, which is having a severe impact on the valuable montane forests, and on threatened species such as black rhinos, elephants, and bongo antelope.

The eastern or mountain bongo, Tragelaphus euryceros isaaci, has historically been found in the mountain forests in Kenya.  In the late 1970’s, bongo were regularly seen from the tourist lodges in the Aberdare Forest. A number of bongo were captured in the Aberdare’s in the 1960’s and sent to zoos in Europe and the US.  White Oak Conservation Center (WOCC) became involved with the captive population in 1982, and developed a strong conservation breeding program.

As the human population has grown and exploited the forests, species like bongo and black rhino have all but disappeared, now found only in small remnant populations in the Aberdare Mountains, the Mau Forest, and on Mt. Kenya.   Various reasons for the decline in bongo have been suggested, including the incursion of lions, an unnatural predator for the bongo. Most current views agree that human pressure on the forests and poaching is the cause.

The link between Kenya and the captive bongo program in the US has not been broken.  Following meetings at White Oak in late 1990’s between the IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group, WOCC, the Rare Species Conservatory, and the AZA Antelope TAG, plans were set in motion to develop a repatriation program for the eastern bongo in the mountains of Kenya.  The Kenya Wildlife Service was engaged, the Mt. Kenya Safari Club became involved, and the bongo repatriation project was implemented.  The AZA Bongo SSP solicited support from bongo holding institutions and animals were selected for the repatriation project, including an animal born at White Oak.

WOCC assisted with the bongo repatriation process and the selected animals were housed at White Oak for pre-shipment testing.  White Oak personnel participated with the bongo transport to Kenya and accompanied the bongo to the Mt. Kenya Safari Club.  The eighteen bongo arrived on Mt. Kenya and were placed in a breeding facility at the Safari Club.  Plans are in place to breed the trans-located bongo, and release their offspring in a second phase of the project that will develop protected areas for the bongo on the slopes of Mt. Kenya.   

The future for the eastern bongo in Kenya looks brighter on several fronts.  The Rhino Ark, a project to fence and protect the Aberdare Mountain National Park has been underway for a number of years, and will secure the forests and watershed, including threatened species such as the bongo and black rhino.   With support from the Rare Species Conservatory and GIC, the Bongo Surveillance Team is working in the Aberdares, to monitor and understand the populations of remaining bongo in those forests.  The second phase of the Mt. Kenya bongo repatriation will include a fenced corridor for the bongo at the Mt. Kenya Safari Club to move up the mountain to protected forests where there is less human pressure.  GIC and White Oak Conservation Center will continue to be supportive of these bongo conservation projects in the mountains of Kenya.