Bongo

The bongo is a herbivorous, mostly nocturnal forest ungulate. Bongos are characterised by a striking reddish-brown coat, black and white markings, white-yellow stripes and long slightly spiralled horns. They are the only tragelaphid in which both sexes have horns. Bongos are usually found in the lowland forests from Sierra Leone in West Africa, all through Central Africa and as far as southern Sudan in east Africa. Small populations also live in the montane or highland forest of Kenya. Bongos are characterised by a striking reddish-brown coat, black and white markings, white-yellow stripes and long slightly spiralled horns. They are the only tragelaphid in which both sexes have horns. They have a complex social interaction and are found in African dense forest mosaics.

Conservation status: Near Threatened (Population decreasing)

Mass: 600 lbs (Adult)

Length: 7.5 ft. (Adult)

Gestation period: 285 days

Trophic level: Herbivorous

Scientific name: Tragelaphus eurycerus

Bongos are the largest forest antelope.

Native people believe if they eat or touch bongo they will have spasms similar to epileptic seizures. ...

Population counts are sketchy as these are very secretive animals. ...

They have been known to eat burned wood after lightning storms.