Mauno bongo5/4/2023 ![]() Another similarity to okapi is their long, prehensile tongue. They also visit salt licks quite regularly to increase their mineral intake, a behavior also shared with okapi. Diet of the Bongoīongos are browsers, which means that they feed primarily on branches, shrubs, and leaves, rather than on grasses. Some populations exist in Kenya, Cameroon, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, the Republic of Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, and Gabon. It has distinctly isolated populations based on habitat loss. The bongo lives in portions of central and western Africa. These habitats occur from heavy elephant browsing, flooding, and fires. They also thrive in slightly disturbed forests where there are portions of low-level vegetation at forest edge. They prefer lush, tropical jungles of altitudes up to 13,000 feet. ![]() Their coat blends in with dense forests, and their habitat choice reflects this. This species can only survive in a fairly small range of habitats. In bongos, however, both males and females have horns. In many closely related species of antelopes only the males bear horns. Duality – Because of their useful dual-purpose function, it is advantageous that both sexes have horns.The horns twist backwards, to help push branches down and out while walking. Scientists believe the horns help clear brush in dense forests while the animals are fleeing. Functional Headgear – While their horns are useful in battle, they actually serve another function.Mothers then leave their calves to hide in this area while the they forage. They return to the same areas to give birth, likely because they have proven to be safest from predators in these locations. Rituals – Females will repeatedly use the same calving grounds, year after year.Usually, animals use scent glands to find other members of their species. Scentless – Bongos are unique because they are one of the few antelope species without scent glands.Learn more about these unique creatures below. Experts estimate that there are less than 100 mountain bongos left in the wild. Human activity threatens these antelopes. In fact, they are the third largest members of their family (Bovidae) behind common and greater elands. They are one of the larger antelope species, and are capable of standing over 10 ft. In a forested setting, their stripes provide perfect camouflage by imitating light filtering through tree branches. Bongos have distinctive reddish-brown colored coats with bright white stripes.
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