Four rare mountain bongos arrive in Kenya from Czech zoo

Four mountain bongos from a Czech zoo arrived in Kenya on Tuesday night, welcomed by government officials, and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) described the arrival as a historic homecoming and a meaningful step for the species' recovery.

KWS said the antelopes have been moved to a private wildlife reserve in central Kenya, and their population has declined from about 500 in the 1970s to fewer than 100 in the wild, with more bongos now in zoos than in their natural habitat. KWS director-general Erustus Kanga, as reported by BBC News - Science, called the arrival a moment of hope and renewed commitment to securing the future of one of the rarest large mammals. KWS said conservation partners have been working on breeding and reintroduction programmes.

Conservation groups say about 17 mountain bongos were repatriated last year from the Rare Species Conservation Foundation in Florida, following an initial repatriation of 18 bongos in 2004. The foundation reports approximately 400 mountain bongos live in captivity in North America, with others in European zoos.

Prague Zoo said each of the four will undergo acclimatisation and monitoring before joining the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy's breeding programme, following adaptation to build immunity. The zoo added they are expected to strengthen the population's genetic value. KWS said the antelopes arrived safely at the conservancy and are settling in, calling it a vital step for population strengthening. The conservancy said some previously repatriated bongos have bred in the wild, but others died from tick-borne diseases. Specific disease prevention measures and release timeline were not detailed, and the reserve's location is undisclosed.