Contact Us

Baby Bongo


Latin Name: Tragelaphus eurycerus

Other Names: Eastern Bongo or Mountain Bongo.

Habitat and Range: One remote population in central Kenya.

Captive Lifespan: Up to 19 years.

Gestation: Around 285 days.

Diet: Herbivore- leaves, bushes, vines, and fruit.

Adaptations: Because of the massive size of their horns when they are fleeing from danger they lay their horns against the back of their neck. To avoid getting caught up in vegetation.

IUCN Status: Near Threatened 2015.

Special Interest: There are two subspecies of Bongo. The Lowland Bongo (T. e. eurycerus) and the Mountain Bongo (T. e. isaaci). We have the Mountain and are a part of the Bongo Repatriation Project. Our first born female Mara was part of 25 US born Bongos to be flown back to Kenya and are now part of a breeding program to be eventually re-released.

Did you Know: They have been known to eat burnt wood from lighting strikes as a way to get minerals into their diet.

Here at the CMC Zoo: Our female bongo, Marley, underwent a rare procedure where her broken leg was set with plates to help it heal and grow. Sometimes, larger animals with severe injuries are unable to be helped. However, Marley healed fine and she is healthy!