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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing bongos. Bongos are identifiable for their bright red, striped coat and their spiraling horns. Both male and female bongos have horns. This sets them apart from other members of their genus. They may be confused with the nyala or the lesser kudu, but their horns as well as their cow-like tail helps differentiate them. These ungulates, or hooved mammals, live in dense forests of Africa. More specifically, they live in transitional areas. Forest edges and clearings and places that have been recently disturbed, such as areas where elephants have walked through, all make the perfect habitat for a bongo herd.

There are currently two described bongo sub-species: the lowland, or western, bongo and the mountain, or eastern, bongo. Both are facing population declines. The lowland bongo is listed as near threatened and the mountain bongo is listed as critically endangered. There are believed to be more mountain bongos in zoos than there are alive in the wild.

Bongos are some of the largest antelopes alive today. They weigh 400 to 900 pounds (180-408kg) and stand about four feet (122cm) tall at the shoulders. For reference, that’s just a bit smaller than your average horse! Males can nearly double females in size! They can also be told apart by their color and their horns. Male bongos, especially the mountain subspecies, darken as they age. What’s more, their nearly three foot (91cm) long horns are thicker and wider than in females. Female horns tend to be smaller and more parallel to each other, supposedly to help them more effectively defend their young from predators. Predators to the bongo include lions, leopards, and hyenas though humans are their greatest threat. Bongos are hunted for sport and food. Humans also destroy their habitats thus fragmenting their populations.

These are shy, elusive creatures. They are most active during twilight hours meaning they are crepuscular, though some sources also list them as nocturnal. Bongos eat leaves, branches, flowers, and grasses. They use their horns to knock these from the trees. Their horns may look like they would get in the way, but bongos hold their horns back against their neck while running to keep them from catching on anything. Older bongos may even have worn patches on their necks from this behavior!

The bongo’s colors and stripes help it blend in with the forest. Like a tiger, their stripes break up their outline. They may have anywhere from nine to fifteen stripes along each side of their body and these are often asymmetrical, with a different number of stripes appearing on each side. Their color, sharp sense of hearing, and smelly odor help them to locate each other in the forest. Bongos may travel alone, especially breeding aged males, but they also travel in small groups. Herds may consist of nearly a dozen members, typically females and their young. It’s believed when their numbers were greater they likely had larger herds.

Bongos become reproductively mature at about two years of age. A female gestates just over nine months; this is just a bit longer than a human! A single calf is born away from the herd and remains in a thicket for about two weeks before joining its family. At six months of age, they’re independent, but often stay with their group. In captivity, bongos can live to be 19 years old, but it’s believed they only reach just over half this age in the wild.

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