Wild mountain antelopes 'in danger'
July 29 2010 at 08:48PM



Nairobi - Wildlife officials in Kenya warned Thursday that an antelope species, whose entire global wild population of 103 exists only in the east African country, was on the verge of extinction.

Habitat loss, genetic factors, predation and disease were threatening to wipe out the mountain bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci), the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said in a statement.

The elusive mountain bongo is the largest mountain antelope and weighs up to 300 kilogrammes. It has white stripes against a chestnut brown hide and both males and females have twisted horns.

In Kenya, they are found in four forested mountains mainly in the country's central regions.


"The mountain bongo is now the most threatened antelope in Kenya and possibly the most endangered large land mammal south of the Sahara," the statement said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the mountain bongo as critically endangered.

The KWS said the more than 500 mountain bongos in zoos across the world were originally from the Aberdares forest in central Kenya. - Sapa-AFP

quote:

The elusive mountain bongo is the largest mountain antelope and weighs up to 300 kilogrammes.

Ha!. We weighed two adult male Mt. Nyala a few springs back (dead of course) and they were both in the 770's. Pounds that is. 300 Kilo's is only 660 pounds. Just shows how little is known about Mt. Nyala.
Rich Elliott

Well Rich, they did call it a Bongo

Shows how banning hunting helps save the wildlife!

I believe the majority of Bongo on Texas ranches are Mountain Bongo, originally from Kenya. Most of the ones from Texas that I've seen pictures of are darker colored like the one above, rather than bright orange like the ones from the rainforest in Central Africa.

I believe you are correct Eland Slayer. If I'm not mistaken, Texas even sent some back to Kenya to try and help repopulate. If the world had game management like Texas, nothing would go extinct.

Texas, home range of Blackbuck, Addax, Scimitar Oryx, Axis Deer, Dama Gazelle and now the elusive Mountain Bongo.

Well, more than 500 in zoos across the world plus what's on Texas game ranches gives us hope that they can come back as a huntable species in a foreign land where they are appreciated. How about those enterprizing RSA game ranchers being up to the challenge?

Texas is now and could be more so, the Ark for many African species. Unless some miracle culls Kenya's human population, Texas will be the only place to see Eastern Bongo that are not behind bars. I don't believe in miracles, but I do believe in Texas.

quote:

Originally posted by 376 steyr:
Well, more than 500 in zoos across the world plus what's on Texas game ranches gives us hope that they can come back as a huntable species in a foreign land where they are appreciated. How about those enterprizing RSA game ranchers being up to the challenge?

Oh please, the conservation mob here all wrapped up in their bio-diversity bull shit have long been peeing in their pantys because of animals translocated to properties outside their natural areas. The Great Fish River Reserve and others here in the Eastern Cape have all had blue wildebeest, nyala, most of the impala culled, and the white rhinos, together with bontebok relocated. Land owners wanting to introduce out of area species to their properties are denied permits to do so.
The damn jack-asses think that they can turn the clock back.
As a thought, diversity / diverse means variety and multiformity. I understand it to mean many and varied.
Don't forget that HSUS IFAW et al still have the final say over there. [S H Oryx]

Yeah, Scriptus I forgot they are a nutty group. They would rather see a species go extinct than translocated.

quote:

Originally posted by Eland Slayer:
I believe the majority of Bongo on Texas ranches are Mountain Bongo, originally from Kenya. Most of the ones from Texas that I've seen pictures of are darker colored like the one above, rather than bright orange like the ones from the rainforest in Central Africa.

There is a place called Safari West in Sonoma county Ca that has mountain bongo. It was a pleasant surprise to take my class of 5th graders there expecting to see some of the "standard" African animals(Giraffe, Buffalo, etc.) and get to see a very dark mountain bongo.

Kenya is the poster child for the failed policies of the "preservationists".

Soon it appears that there will be more Africa in Texas, than Africa in Africa...how fast the World is changing. AIU

I understand this might not appeal to everyone, but it is relevant to this topic. When I used to book hunts for clients, I was fortunate enough to get to know the owners of a ranch near Mason, TX called the Star S Ranch. It is an incredible property....10,000 acres situated along the James River. They focus on raising a lot of the more rare and unique species of exotic game....including Mountain Bongo. They have been very successful, and now have over 20 active breeding females.

The Bongo are in a small captive area for breeding, but over the past two years they have released 3 mature bulls into a hunting area. The ranch is split into 4 separate hunting areas (two 4,000 acre areas and two 1,000 acre areas). The Bongo are in one of the 1,000 acre areas....which, to my knowledge, is a much larger area than any other property in Texas has successfully released Bongo into. I visited with one of the ranch managers a few months ago at a trade show, and he said the Bongo bulls are extremely difficult (nearly impossible) to find during daylight hours, and are mostly nocturnal. Virtually the only time they see them is on trail camera photos. I have personally been on the ranch and in this particular hunting area (it was several years ago, prior to the Bongo being introduced). It is very rough terrain, with canyons, several hundred feet of elevation change, and lots of rocky and brushy areas. The Mountain Bongo seem to feel right at home.

Here are a couple trail cam photos of the bulls on the ranch. I thought some of you would enjoy seeing a real effort being made here in the states to preserve this beautiful species. (If you are offended by the presence of a feeder in these photos, I apologize, but please keep it to yourself)