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Tragelaphus euryceros (left: male; right: female)
Bongo antelopes live in forests, in the West and Central African lowlands and the Kenya highlands. Like other forest ungulates, Bongos are seldom seen in large groups. Males tend to be solitary and groups of females with young seem to live in groups of 6-8. They feed on leaves of trees and bushes, vines, grasses and herbs, roots and fruits, and they especially like salt. There is an estimated 400 individuals living in North American zoos, a number that probably exceeds that of the mountain Bongo in the wild. Through the efforts of zoos in North America, a reintroduction to the population in Kenya is being developed.
The picture of the male Bongo was taken at the zoo of Louisville, Kentucky, in May 2001. The picture of the female Bongo was taken at the zoo of Cincinnati, Ohio, in February 2005.
Genus Tragelaphus
Subfamily Bovinae
Family Bovidae
Order Artiodactyla
Subclass Eutheria
Class Mammalia
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
Index