# Bongo (*Tragelaphus eurycerus*) Bongos are beautiful, brown antelopes with white stripes and big, curved horns. They love to live in forests and are very shy animals. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Bongo](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424253/objects/4527.jpg) ## Appearance The Bongo is a strikingly large antelope with a vibrant reddish-brown coat marked by 10-15 vertical white stripes. It has impressive, slightly spiraled horns on both males and females, and a distinctive white chevron between its eyes. This unique pattern helps it blend into dappled forest light. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Artiodactyla - **Family:** Bovidae - **Genus:** Tragelaphus ## Interesting facts - A Bongo can change direction instantly while running, making it hard to catch. - Baby Bongos stay hidden perfectly still for weeks after birth to avoid hungry predators. - Bongos are the only forest antelope species where both males and females grow horns! - They love to eat burnt wood and charcoal for minerals, especially after forest fires! ## Special abilities - **Camouflage Master:** Bongo can disappear quickly because of its vibrant reddish-brown coat with striking white stripes that break up its outline. - **Forest Navigator:** Bongo has powerful spiraled horns that help them push through dense undergrowth and defend against predators effectively. - **Acute Senses:** Bongo can detect danger from far away because of its large ears and excellent sense of smell, vital in dense forests. - **Swift Mover:** Bongo can navigate tricky forest terrain and leap over obstacles quickly due to its strong legs and agile body. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 170-250 cm - **Weight:** 210-405 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 40 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1-2 - **Gestation:** 285 days ## Diet & Feeding These large forest antelopes munch on leaves, shoots, fruits, and bark found in their dense habitat. - **Primary Foods:** Leaves, Shoots, Bark, Fruits, Grasses, Roots - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Leopard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard) (*Panthera pardus*) — Main predator of adult and young Bongos. - **Eaten by:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — Poaching and habitat loss threaten their survival. - **Eats:** African ebony (*Diospyros mespiliformis*) — Browses on leaves, shoots, and fruits. - **Eats:** Iroko (*Milicia excelsa*) — Consumes foliage from diverse forest plant species. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Horned](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/horned): Characterized by having one or more hard, permanent, pointed projections on the head. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Bongos are gentle animals and are not dangerous to people. It's best to admire them from a distance. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bongo? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Bongo? 170-250 cm ### How much does Bongo weigh? 210-405 kg ### How long does Bongo live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Bongo move? 40 km/h ### What does Bongo eat? These large forest antelopes munch on leaves, shoots, fruits, and bark found in their dense habitat. ### Where is Bongo usually found? Forests ### How does Bongo hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [African Safari Wildlife Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/african-safari-wildlife-park) — Ohio, US · Zoo - [Cape May County Park & Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cape-may-county-park-and-zoo) — New Jersey, US · Zoo - [Six Flags Great Adventure](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/six-flags-great-adventure) — New Jersey, US · Zoo - [Six Flags Wild Safari Adventure](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/six-flags-wild-safari-adventure) — New Jersey, US · Zoo - [Virginia Zoological Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/virginia-zoological-park) — Virginia, US · Zoo - [Gladys Porter Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gladys-porter-zoo) — Texas, US · Zoo [View all places to see Bongo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bongo) ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [Bongo: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bongo)