Bongo Antelope(Tragelaphus eurycerus) Swahili:Bongo
The large,striped bongo antelope is rarely seen.They live close to water in dense forest,only leaving the forest cover to graze at night in open clearings.The bongo stands around 120 cm high at the shoulder and measures around 250 cm from head to tail.Mature males are a beautiful dark mahagony-brown colour,while the females are a much lighter reddish-brown.Both sexes have distinctive vertical white stripes on the body,never less than nine,never more than 14.Horns are sported by both males and females,and these are slightly spiralling and lyre shaped with yellow tips,with those on the male slightly shorter and sturdier than on the female.The bongo grazes mainly onleaves and will often stand on its hind legs to increase its reach.It also digs for roots with its horns.Bongo are usually found in small family herds although bulls often lead a solitary existence,meeting up with other animals only to mate.
The large,striped bongo antelope is rarely seen.They live close to water in dense forest,only leaving the forest cover to graze at night in open clearings.The bongo stands around 120 cm high at the shoulder and measures around 250 cm from head to tail.Mature males are a beautiful dark mahagony-brown colour,while the females are a much lighter reddish-brown.Both sexes have distinctive vertical white stripes on the body,never less than nine,never more than 14.Horns are sported by both males and females,and these are slightly spiralling and lyre shaped with yellow tips,with those on the male slightly shorter and sturdier than on the female.The bongo grazes mainly onleaves and will often stand on its hind legs to increase its reach.It also digs for roots with its horns.Bongo are usually found in small family herds although bulls often lead a solitary existence,meeting up with other animals only to mate.
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