Eastern bongo
Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci
About
The Eastern bongo is recognised for its vibrant reddish-brown coat, which features thin, white vertical stripes. Both males and females have long, spiralling, distinctive horns, which help them find food by uprooting plants. They’re also used by males for sparring over females and can grow up to one metre long!
Wild bongos tend to live in small groups of about eight females with their calves, led by one dominant male. They are the largest of all the African antelope species, but they are also extremely timid and easily spooked.
They are hunted by leopards and hyenas, but their large, sensitive ears help them sense and escape ambushing predators.
Eastern bongo facts
Threats facing Eastern bongos
There are now fewer than 150 eastern bongos left in the wild.
We’re part of an endangered species breeding programme working to boost eastern bongo numbers in zoos around the world and secure a safety-net population.
In partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, we’re also supporting vital research on the subspecies in Kenya – investigating the impact that habitat change has on the small bongo population that remains. The team is also working with researchers on a potential reintroduction strategy for these highly endangered animals.
In 2018, scientists from the zoo discovered another subspecies of bongo, the lowland bongo, in Uganda for the first time. Our motion-sensor camera traps detected the presence of the animals in the lowland rainforests of Semuliki National Park.
Human intervention
Climate change and severe weather
Hunting or collection
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