The Life of Animals | Bongo | Bongos are found in dense tropical jungles with dense undergrowth up to an altitude of 4.000 meters (12.800 ft) in Central Africa, with Isolated Populations in Kenya, and the following West African countries Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya
Historically, bongos Occurred in three disjunct parts of Africa: East, Central and West. Bongos favour disturbed forest mosaics That Provide fresh, low-level green vegetation. Mass bamboo die-off provides an ideal habitat in East Africa. The bongo sports a bright auburn or chestnut coat, with the neck, chest and legs Generally Darker Than the rest of the body. Coats of male bongos Become Darker and buffy as They Age until They reach a dark mahogany-brown color. Coats of female bongos are usually more brightly colored than Those of males. The smooth coat is marked with 10-15 vertical white-yellow stripes, spread along the back from the base of the neck to the rump. A white chevron Appears the between the eyes and two large white spots grace each cheek. The large ears are to sharpen hearing, and the distinctive coloration may help bongos identify one another in Their dark forest habitats. The lips of a bongo are white, topped with a black muzzle.
Like other forest ungulates, bongos are seldom seen in large groups. Males, Called bulls, growing niche to be solitary while groups of females with young live in groups of 6 to 8. Bongos have seldom been seen in herds of more than 20. Sexual maturity is reached at 24-27 months. As young males mature and leave Their maternal groups They Often Remain most solitary, although rarely They join-up with an older male. Adult males of similar size / age growing niche to avoid one another.
When in distress the bongo emits a bleat. It uses a limited number of vocalisations, Mostly grunts and snorts while females have a weak mooing contact-call for Their young. The calves grow rapidly and can soon accompany Their mothers in the nursery herds. In 2002 the IUCN listed the western / Lowland species as Near Threatened. This may mean bongos That may be endangered due to human environmental interaction as well as hunting and illegal actions Towards wildlife. CITES lists bongo as an Appendix III species, only regulating Their exportation from a single country, Ghana. The IUCN Antelope Specialist Group considers the western or Lowland bongo, T. eurycerus, to be Lower Risk (Near Threatened), and the eastern or mountain bongo, T. e. isaaci, of Kenya to be Critically Endangered.
