Chester Zoo 

Eastern Bongo

Distinctively colourful with a rich reddy chestnut coat, this is the most flamboyant looking of all antelope - a fact which has led poachers to hunt it for its unusual pelt. With between 10 and 15 white vertical lines on the flanks and rump, the contrast with the red background is striking. The eye-catching colouring continues onto their legs, which are patterned chestnut, black and white. They have a crest of hair tufts along their back, while their heads have white chevron markings between the eyes, two white spots on each cheek and a white coloured 'collar' at the bottom of their neck. Their spiralling lyre shaped horns would be about a metre long if stretched out to full length, the female's being longer and thinner than the males. This is the largest African forest antelope with males bigger than females. When distressed they make a bleating sound.

What they eat

Vegetation - grasses, flowers, leaves, twigs, cereals, herb plants, thistles.

How long they live

In captivity they have lived up to 19 years.

Biology

Bongos generally live in groups of about eight females, with their young and a dominant bull, though they have been known to congregate into larger groups of up to 50 after calving. Mothers give birth to a single calf after nine months gestation period. At first the young are left in a secluded 'hiding spot' to protect them from predators, with the mother returning regularly to nurse them. They are weaned after six months, reaching sexual maturity at about 20 months. Non-dominant or ageing males are often solitary wanderers or collect in small groups. Bongos have a timid nature and are easily spooked, usually only venturing into more open ground at night and being most active at sunrise and early day.

Did you know?

The bongo has a long prehensile tongue which means it is adapted for pulling up tough roots, grasping twigs and tree branches.