Critically endangered mountain bongos released into the wild in Kenya

(8 May 2024)
KENYA MOUNTAIN BONGOS

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

RESTRICTIONS:

LENGTH: 4:31

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Nanyuki, Kenya - 7 May 2024

1. Various of Dr Robert Aruho with his team darting mountain bongo (antelopes)
2. Various of darted mountain bongo being loaded into truck
3. Various of mountain bongo in truck being transported to release centre
4. Mountain bongos being unloaded at release centre
5. Various of mountain bongos being prepared for release
6. Mountain bongos running into the wild
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Robert Aruho, Head of the Mountain Bongo Program at Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy:
"This is an effort to again accelerate the re-wilding of these antelopes. So we have reintroduced them again within the Mt. Kenya forest which we know is a former bongo range. The bongos used to live there and now today we witnessed another occasion where these animals again have been sent back to their wild home in their former range."

8. Various of mountain bongos from breeding program in paddock
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Robert Aruho, Head of the Mountain Bongo Program at Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy:
"The Mountain Bongo is a very beautiful animal and the biggest antelope in the forest. So, because of their beauty both sexes have horns. So, poaching for bushmeat, then live trade for those who wanted to keep mountain bongos and then also hunting because of their trophies, skin and the horns. That brought the numbers of bongos to go so low. And then, as the Bongo was still struggling, there was a rinderpest (cattle plague) outbreak in 1980 here in Kenya which killed most of the ungulates and the bongo also was not spared. And that crashed the population to less than 100 individuals and its recovery has been so slow in the wild and that's why now the only possible route for recovery was to breed the mountain bongo and then re-wild them."

10. Various of Kenyan First Lady Rachael Ruto (in green) flanked by Kenyan Tourism Minister Alfred Mutua (on her right) and (on her left) Humphrey Kariuki, Patron of Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy viewing the release of Mountain Bongos
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Robert Aruho, Head of the Mountain Bongo Program at Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy:
"Conservation of the mountain bongo is very important because of where the bongo is living and also when we look at some of the threats that we are facing in conservation for example like climate change, the presence of such animals on these high altitude areas will enhance the conservation value of these forests and if we are able to keep our forest cover, then it's also a strong incentive to provide for us opportunities for mediating climate change using the mountain bongo as a flagship species which is living in such a fragile ecosystem."

12. Various of bongos in paddock
STORYLINE:
LEADIN
Kenyan authorities have released two critically endangered antelope into their natural habitat around Mount Kenya.

With less than 100 mountain bongos living in the wild, the program is crucial to the survival of the species.

STORYLINE

Two mountain bongos are released into the forest on the slopes of Mount Kenya.

Two might not look like much but the total wild population of these antelope is less than 100.

The program is being run by the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy which breeds these beautiful creatures in captivity and then releases them into their natural habitat.

They've reintroduced a total of 10 bongos in recent days.
According to Aruho, the mountain bongo's survival in its natural environment is crucial for balance in the ecosystem.
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