Species Fact Profile: Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus)

                                                                      Bongo

                                               Tragelaphus eurycerus (Ogilby, 1837)

Range: Central Africa (northern Democratic Republic of Congo and adjacent countries) with additional, isolated populations in Kenya, western Africa

Habitat: Dense tropical forest with dense undergrowth, up to 4,300 meters elevation.  Often absent from forest with too dense of canopy, as this doesn’t allow enough undergrowth

Diet: Leaves, Bushes, Vines, Bark, Pith, Grasses, Root, and Fruits

Social Grouping: Solitary, Pairs, Small Herds

Reproduction: Females come into estrus every 21-22 days for 3 days.  Males follow receptive females with outstretched neck, making soft vocalizations.  Single calf (twins rare) born after 9-month gestation period, weaned at 6 months.  Sexually mature at 20 months.  Calves are left hidden in undergrowth after birth, visited periodically by mother

Lifespan: 20-25 Years

      Conservation Status: IUCN Near Threatened, CITES Appendix III 

• Largest African forest antelope.  Body length 170-250 centimeters.  Shoulder height 110-130 centimeters.  Tail 45-65 centimeters.  Weight 240-400 kilograms.  Males up to twice the size of females.  Proportionately shorter legs than many other African antelopes.  Prehensile tongue
• Short, glossy coat is red-chestnut in color, growing darker in older males, with 10-15 vertical white stripes on the torso.  Muzzle is black, with white spots on the cheeks and white chevron between the eyes.  Ears are rimmed with white, legs patterned with red, white, and black.  Pigmentation in fur rubs off quite easily, can tint rain falling off the animal or stain vegetation as they walk through the forest
• Both sexes have horns (usually thinner, longer, and straighter in females) with a single turn 75-100 centimeters long.  When fleeing, horns are held against the back of the neck to prevent getting entangled in vegetation; many older animals have bare patches on their backs from this
• More social than most forest antelope.  Can occur at population densities of 1.2 per square kilometer.  Adult males tend to avoid one another, but may spar, though rarely seriously, instead using intimidation to drive off rivals.
• Most active at night, as well as dawn and dusk.  Very timid and easily frightened.  Frequently wallow in mud, afterwards rubbing horns against trees.
• Predators include leopards (primary predator) and lions and hyenas in more open country, with large pythons preying on calves.  Bongos best defenses is to blend into the forest; they are slow runners on open ground.  Bongos pursued by cursorial predators may enter shallow water and turn to face their enemies.
• Sometimes raid gardens or plantations to feed on crops.  Primarily browsers, but will also graze.  Known to regularly visit salt licks and to eat burnt wood as sources of minerals.
• Genus name from the Greek Tragos (goat) and elaphos (deer), species name from Eurus (broad) and keras (horn).  Common name is the indigenous name for the species (Kele of Gabon).  Sometimes placed in its own genus, Boocercus (generally not recognized).  
• Two subspecies currently recognized – the eastern, or mountain bongo (T. e. isaaci) and the western, or lowland bongo (nominate), with the possibility that the western populations (divided into Central and West African) may be separate subspecies.  Eastern subspecies is kept in US zoos.
• Threats include hunting (especially using dogs) and loss of habitat to deforestation.  Traditionally were not a preferred prey species, but in recent years more demand from trophy hunters, as well as entrapment in snares set for other species.  Decline in some areas may also be driven by diseases introduced from domestic livestock, such as rinderpest.
• Embryos of bongos have been planted in closely related eland as part of zoo experimentation with assisted reproduction