Bongo

The bongo is a large forest-dwelling antelope native to the dense tropical forests of Central and West Africa, with an isolated population in Kenya, recognized by its rich chestnut coat marked with bold white vertical stripes and its long, spiraled horns, present in both sexes. It is among the largest of the forest antelopes, and its striped coat provides effective camouflage in the dappled shade of dense forest vegetation, where it browses on leaves, shoots, bark and fallen fruit. Bongos are generally shy and elusive, most active at dawn, dusk and night, and the isolated eastern population, known as the mountain bongo, has declined severely due to habitat loss, disease and predation, leading to its classification as critically endangered even as the more widespread lowland bongo population remains comparatively more secure.