'Feisty' mountain bongo calf welcomed by zoo

Because of a zoo's effective breeding program, an extremely endangered mountain bongo calf was welcomed.
On September 4, the male baby bongo was born in Marwell Zoo, which is close to Winchester.

He has been "extremely confident, energetic, and adventurous right from the start," according to keepers at the Hampshire zoo.

There are only roughly 100 mountain bongos remaining in the wild because to factors like habitat loss, disease from domestic cattle, and poaching.

The huge type of antelope is indigenous to highland forests in portions of Kenya.

The newcomer "appears quite feisty and has been confidently exploring more and more of his habitat every day," according to animal keeper Rhiannon Wolff.

"This calf is an essential component of the European Ex-situ Program and Breeding Program, which aims to ensure the survival of this species," she went on.

At the moment, the calf spends most of his time in his bed stall, where his mother Jumapili comes to nurse him during the day.

All bongo calves have a chestnut coat with small white stripes on it when they are young. As they age, their enormous, floppy ears gradually develop into them.

The primary predators of bongos are leopards, who retreat into the forest when they sense danger in order to avoid becoming entangled in the vegetation by pressing their horns against their necks.

Lancaster, Curtis

Source bbc.com