Mountain Bongo Surveillance Project

Background
The Mountain Bongo Surveillance Project aims to conserve the highly endangered mountain bongo antelope through protection of their habitat, the Aberdare Mountains, and by encouraging local communities to get involved in the conservation of this beautiful and rare species.

Mountain Bongo
There are approximately 150 mountain bongo surviving today in the wild, living in isolated pockets of Kenya’s Highland forests; in 1975 there were 500. Found only in Kenya, the Mountain Bongo is critically endangered and is one of only two recognized subspecies of the bongo antelope. Exceedingly shy animals, bongo are forest browsers exclusively, being restricted to densely forested areas with an abundant year-round growth of accessible leaves and shoots. A combination of factors have lead to the demise of the bongo; an epidemic of rinderpest in the late 1990s raised concern that the Mountain Bongo might have been wiped out altogether; loss of habitat to due to human encroachment into its habitat and snaring for bushmeat are all contributory factors.

Tusk Trust Support
A grant of £2,000 to the Bongo Surveillance Project covered the projects annual cost of promoting awareness and undertaking Bongo surveillance with community wildlife clubs surrounding the forest. Each wildlife club consists of 40 pupils (aged 10 -12 years) from four schools bordering the Aberdares that are in close proximity to identified Bongo locations; giving an outreach to a possible 1000 people in the local community.

The Wildlife Clubs are a vital part of the Bongo Surveillance initiative and conservation programme. With the support of the teachers and the community they raise awareness about the vital resources of the Aberdare forests, rivers and unique wildlife, highlighting the importance of these resources to the livelihoods of children and their families.

By engaging the support of the community through the local schools, there is an opportunity to make a lasting contribution to conservation and protecting the Bongo and its natural habitat.
 

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