NANYUKI, Kenya, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has celebrated the birth of the 100th mountain bongo calf, a third-generation offspring of the critically endangered antelope, conservationists announced Thursday.
Erustus Kanga, director-general of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), said the milestone, achieved under the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC)'s breeding and rewilding program, offers renewed hope for the survival of the fragile species.
Kanga said it reflects more than 20 years of dedication by conservation teams, researchers, veterinarians, and wildlife managers, whose efforts in research, monitoring, and breeding have been critical to the recovery of the critically endangered species.
"The KWS reaffirms its commitment to working closely with the conservancy on the mountain bongo breeding and rewilding program and to advancing species recovery efforts across the country," he said in a statement issued in Nanyuki, central Kenya.
The rare mountain bongo, distinguished by its striking chestnut coat and spiraled horns, is a national treasure among Kenya's wildlife species and a unique symbol of the country's rich biodiversity.
Humphrey Kariuki, patron of the MKWC, said the milestone reflects decades of coordinated breeding, habitat restoration, and community engagement that have been critical to stabilizing the species.
"We look forward to continuing this journey, expanding our research and efforts to reintroduce a healthy, self-sustaining population into the wild, and ensuring that the mountain bongo is no longer endangered," Kariuki said.
According to Kariuki, the journey to the 100th birth began in 2004 with the repatriation of 18 mountain bongos from the United States to Nanyuki. In 2022, the conservancy reached another major milestone with the opening of the Mawingu Mountain Bongo Sanctuary, the world's first dedicated wild sanctuary for the species.
The sanctuary provides a safe, natural habitat where bongos can continue the rewilding process in preparation for reintroduction into their historic ranges in Mount Kenya, Eburu, and the Aberdares.
Robert Aruho, head of the MKWC, said the milestone provides both momentum and confidence to continue efforts to ensure the species' survival.
Once thriving in Kenya's highland forests, the mountain bongo population has declined drastically over the past five decades due to habitat loss, poaching, and disease, according to the KWS. ■
