On March 1, the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls welcomed the birth of a male eastern bongo antelope, the newest member of a critically endangered species.
Visitors will notice big listening ears and distinctive stripes on the body of the bongo. Eastern bongos are native to central Kenya and live on the edge of forests. The stripes help them camouflage in the forest shadows.
Poaching and habitat destruction threaten the eastern bongo’s survival. The Great Plains Zoo reports between 75 and 140 adult eastern bongos currently survive in the wild. More than 300 bongos survive in zoos across the world as a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan.
Currently, unnamed baby bongo and mom Zahara can be found in the Hoofstock Building. This spring and summer, both will move to the Bongo Yard across from the Savanna.
