Four critically endangered mountain bongos have been returned to Kenya from the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic and will undergo quarantine before moving to the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy. The species, Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci, faces threats from poaching and past disease outbreaks, with fewer than 100 left in the wild. Officials and conservationists say the transfer will boost genetic diversity through managed breeding and underscores international cooperation to save the species.
Critically Endangered Mountain Bongos Return Home to Kenya From Czech Zoo
Four mountain bongos, a type of antelope, repatriated from the Czech Republic, arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) CORRECTION: Type corrected to antelope, instead of gazelle(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Four critically endangered mountain bongos have been flown back to Kenya from the Dvur Kralove Zoo in the Czech Republic and are now on their way to their native forest habitat after years in European care.
FILE - A rare mountain bongo leaps from a shipping crate after traveling from the United States to the slopes of Mountain Kenya, their natural habitat, on Jan. 30, 2004. (AP Photo/Chris Tomlinson, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The mountain bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) is one of the world's rarest antelopes. The species has been driven toward extinction by poaching and disease, including a devastating rinderpest outbreak in the 1980s. The Kenyan government estimates fewer than 100 mountain bongos remain in the wild.
Four mountain bongos, a type of antelope, repatriated from the Czech Republic, arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) CORRECTION: Type corrected to antelope, instead of gazelle(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
The four animals arrived in wooden crates at Kenya's main international airport and were welcomed by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano, who described the event as a "homecoming of the majestic bongos." Czech Republic Ambassador Nicol Adamcova praised the transfer as a symbol of long-standing conservation cooperation between the two countries.
Kenya Wildlife Service personnel walk past four mountain bongos, a type of antelope, repatriated from the Czech Republic, upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) CORRECTION: Type corrected to antelope, instead of gazelle(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
This is the third repatriation of bongos to Kenya in recent years, following an earlier transfer in February 2025. After veterinary checks, quarantine and a period of acclimatization, the animals will be transferred to the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, which currently houses 102 bongos, before being released into the wild.
Four mountain bongos, a type of antelope, repatriated from the Czech Republic, are offloaded from a plane at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga) CORRECTION: Type corrected to antelope, instead of gazelle(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Conservation Goals and Genetic Recovery
The conservancy, working with the Kenyan government, manages the national recovery plan for the mountain bongo. The four newcomers will be included in a managed-breeding program aimed at increasing genetic diversity and strengthening the small, fragmented population. Kenyan-raised nature explorers and filmmakers Jahawi and Elke Bertolli told The Associated Press that the additional animals will provide crucial genetic variation and help bolster the species' resilience.
Conservationists emphasize that saving the mountain bongo also helps protect the highland forests that are vital to Kenya's water supplies and broader ecosystem health.
The successful transfer highlights the role of international partnerships, science-based conservation and coordinated policy in efforts to prevent extinction and restore populations of endangered species.
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