Instagram – Jul 04, 2022 @ 09:10
The bongo antelope is the largest and the heaviest forest antelope in the world. They have a distinctive reddish-brown coat which is contrasted by 10-15 white or yellow stripes. The bongo and eland are the only antelopes in the genus Tragelaphus in which both sexes have horns, which can grow up to 3 feet.
These herbivores are easily scared and tend to move around in singles or small pairs. As nocturnal animals, they usually feed at night. Bongos consume the foliage of up to 80 different types of trees, bushes, and vines.
Today, the biggest threat to bongo antelopes is humans. Appalling practices such as snare hunting, poaching, and tourist hunting safari have led to the elimination of these species in some areas. Other threats include habitat destruction and predators such as leopards and lions. Young bongos are more vulnerable to pythons and hyenas.