A four-day trek into Mount Kenya to raise funds to support the conservation of the critically endangered mountain bongos came to an end with calls to establish a viable, self-sustaining population of bongos in Kenya’s forests.
The annual event is held in September every year with the goal being to raise awareness and funds to support the conservation of the critically endangered antelope.
During this year’s edition, trekkers followed the 66-kilometre round-trip of Mount Kenya to point Lenana and raised more than Sh1 million to secure the future of the Mountain Bongo.
According to Benaya Odhiambo, the Operations Manager, Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, the trek is part of efforts by the conservancy to save Mountain Bongo from extinction.
He highlighted poaching, destruction of the antelope’s traditional habitat and breeding spaces through deforestation and separation of individual animals from their herds as some of the major threats to their survival.
“A lot of human activity has proved destructive over the years. What would have been their traditional breeding spaces have been encroached by human activities. We have seen a lot of land subdivision, tree felling and substantial loss of vegetation where their predominant grazing fields have been destroyed by human activities, thus interfering with their breeding sites,” he said.
Odhiambo noted that this year’s event comes at a significant moment for the mountain bongo recovery programme as more than 108 Bongos are now under the care of the conservancy, making it the world’s largest mountain bongo sanctuary and breeding population.
“The funds raised during this hike will be critical in helping us save the Mountain Bongo that is critically endangered. The funds will go into veterinary interventions, including animal care, veterinary support, genetic management, monitoring and the operational costs. We hope that over time the funds will help us in the re-wilding, breeding and habitat restoration of the critically endangered species,” he said.
In 2004, the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, working with the Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service, established the 776-acre Mawingu Mountain Bongo sanctuary on the slopes of Mount Kenya.
The indigenous forest sanctuary provides a protected environment where the antelopes are bred under human care and can adapt to natural conditions and develop the behaviours required for eventual life in the wild.
The sanctuary started with a population of 18 mountain bongos which were brought back to Kenya from North America to establish a breeding population. It received a further boost in April this year when the programme received four male mountain bongos which were repatriated from Europe.
In a statement, the sanctuary said that the antelopes were selected for their genetic value and breeding potential and would help strengthen genetic diversity within the bongo population and contribute to healthier and more resilient future generations.
By Wangari Mwangi
