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Critically endangered bongo birth: Africa’s rarest large mammal born at Chester Zoo
First look at the big-eared bongo calf born at Chester Zoo
Conservationists hail new arrival as “vitally important”
Species is critically endangered as only 50 survive in the wild
It’s only the second mountain bongo to be born at the zoo in the last 15 years
The new youngster is female and zookeepers have named her Navari
Zoo staff are working with partners in Kenya to help boost the tiny population
Conservationists at Chester Zoo are celebrating the birth of a mountain bongo – the rarest large mammal species found in Africa.
The “precious” female calf was born to parents Nolliag and Moti after a nine and a half-month-long pregnancy.
Named Navari by zookeepers, the new youngster is only the second mountain bongo – the world’s largest forest-dwelling antelope – to be born at the zoo in the last 15 years.
The mountain bongo is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Now only 50 are found in just one remote area of Kenya, its population has been decimated by humans, with habitat loss caused by agriculture and uncontrolled timber felling and hunting for its meat and horns cited as key factors in its demise.
Experts say it faces an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild without swift conservation intervention.
Chester Zoo is part of a global endangered species breeding programme, which is working to secure a healthy safety net population of mountain bongo in human care.
Conservation teams from the zoo are also currently working with researchers in Africa on a potential reintroduction strategy for the highly endangered animals in Kenya. The zoo also partners with Manchester Metropolitan University to support vital research on the subspecies in Kenya – investigating the impact that habitat change is having on the tiny bongo population that remains.
Mike Jordan, Director of Plants and Animals at Chester Zoo, said:
“The mountain bongo is a striking large mammal and it’s desperately sad to think that its population size has been reduced to such a small number. We fear there could be as few as just 50 now remaining in the wild.
“Hope, however, is certainly not lost and our zoo teams are fighting on a number of fronts to ensure that these highly threatened animals have a long-term future. Central to this is the leading role we play in the international conservation breeding programme for the subspecies, to which this latest calf at the zoo is a vitally important addition. Her birth is something to really celebrate. She’s an incredibly precious new arrival.
“Working alongside the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service, as well as academics in the UK and the zoo community across Europe, plans are now in motion to translocate a number of these wonderful animals from zoos in Europe to Africa. We hope they’ll go on to bolster the wild population and help these stunning animals to stage a recovery.”
The mountain bongo is distinguishable by its vibrant reddish-brown coat featuring thin white vertical stripes, which help them to stay camouflaged within the forest by breaking up their body shape.
Dr Nick Davis, General Manager of Mammals at Chester Zoo, coordinates the conservation breeding programme for the subspecies in Europe. He added:
“Mountain bongo are very shy and elusive animals and newborns tend to naturally look to take cover to protect themselves.
“Calves are born with incredibly large ears, which almost look out of proportion with their bodies. These are highly sensitive and help them to sense and escape from ambush predators such as leopards and hyenas.
“We have learned so much about their biology and behaviours from important births like this one, as well as the daily care we’ve been able to provide to them in zoos. Until recently, bongo remained poorly studied across their native range but this is thankfully starting to change. We’re now at the forefront of bongo conservation and we’ve already been involved in a number of breakthrough discoveries, such as finding them living in Uganda for the first time. This has laid a foundation for us to integrate conservation efforts by zoos with those in the wild – offering better hope for the future survival of these incredible animals.”
In 2018, scientists from the zoo and the Ugandan Wildlife Authority discovered another subspecies of bongo, the lowland bongo, in Uganda for the first time. The zoo’s motion-sensor cameras detected the presence of the animals in the remote, unexplored lowland rainforests within the Semuliki National Park – the first recorded evidence of the subspecies living in the country.
Chester Zoo has also worked with Liverpool John Moores University’s Conservation AI team to develop the world’s first AI-powered detection system for the lowland and mountain bongo, revolutionising how they’re monitored in the wild. The technology was developed using images of the bongo population at the zoo and subsequently successfully tested in Kenya’s Mawingu Sanctuary, where the zoo is coordinating a collaborative effort that’s aiming to move up to 10 zoo-born mountain bongos, through the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), to boost their genetic diversity.
Experts say these innovative strategies, collaborative efforts with key partners including the Kenya Wildlife Service, Bongo Surveillance Project, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, and the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group, and leadership in coordinating the Mountain Bongo EEP, are all crucial for ensuring these unique species have a future in Africa.
Mountain bongo facts
Scientific name: Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci
The mountain bongo is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) meaning they face an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild
They are threatened by habitat loss to agriculture and hunting for their meat, horns and hides
Standing around 1.1 to 1.4m tall at the shoulder, adult male bongo can weigh over 300kgs
They have a long flexible tongue, which helps them to reach food, and strong long horns help them to find food by uprooting plants. Their horns are also used by males for sparing over females
They walk with their heads tilted back when moving through forests so they don’t get stuck in branches
Mountain bongo boast large sensitive ears help them to sense and escape from ambush predators such as leopards and hyenas
Joy as rare baby chimpanzee is born at Chester Zoo
Birth of rare chimpanzee delights conservationists at Chester Zoo
Heartwarming footage shows baby being held closely by new mum Alice
Adorable infant joins a group of 21 at the zoo which is vitally important to future of the species
Zoo conservationists are working to protect some of Africa’s rarest chimpanzees in the wild as numbers decline across the continent
A rare baby chimpanzee has been born at Chester Zoo.
The new male infant arrived to mum Alice in front of astonished zoo visitors following an eight-month pregnancy.
Newly released images of the tiny newborn show it being carefully cradled by mum and other female relatives in the 21-strong group.
The chimpanzees at Chester are part of an international conservation breeding programme which sees European zoos working together, using the latest scientific technologies to determine the genetic makeup of each chimpanzee, to create a safety-net population to help prevent the primates from disappearing altogether.
Human-related activities such as the illegal wildlife trade and poaching have severely impacted chimpanzee populations in many parts of Africa. Deforestation, driven by agricultural expansion and logging, has significantly reduced their natural habitats into smaller and more fragmented territories.
Mike Jordan, Animal & Plant Director at the zoo, said:
“A new birth always sparks some real excitement within the chimpanzee group here at Chester. While Alice and her new baby are certainly centre of attention among the other chimpanzees they’re still finding some quiet time to get to know one another and can often be seen cuddled up together. What’s also great to see is that some of the others in the group, especially the younger females, are really intrigued by the new baby and are learning all about motherhood from Alice. This is an important learning curve for them and this experience can be really useful for when they hopefully go on to have babies of their own. A thriving conservation breeding programme is key to the long-term protection of these animals.
“For nearly 30 years our teams have worked on the ground in Uganda, Nigeria and Gabon in Africa, working hand in hand with wildlife authorities, in-country partners and local communities in an effort protect some of the world’s rarest wild chimpanzee populations and their forest homes. These collective efforts, paired with the conservation breeding programme in zoos, gives us hope that we can create a future where chimpanzees thrive long into the future.”
Joy as first baby aardvark is born at Chester Zoo
Sleepy baby aardvark is pictured snuggling up to new mum, Oni
Calf is being hand-reared by conservationists who are providing around-the-clock care for the youngster
Zookeepers have nicknamed the new arrival ‘Dobby’ after its close resemblance to the beloved Harry Potter character
Bizarre-looking baby has ‘giant ears, wrinkly hairless skin and giant claws’
The species is threatened in the wild by habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and hunting
An adorable aardvark has been born at Chester Zoo for the first time in the charity’s 90-year history.
Conservationists at the zoo were “overjoyed” to discover the new arrival snuggled up with mum Oni (8) and dad Koos (6) after it had been born overnight on 4 January.
The calf, born with large droopy ears, hairless wrinkled skin and giant claws, is currently being hand-reared every evening by zookeepers who are providing dedicated care, feeding the baby every few hours through the night for around five weeks, to help it gain strength.
The sex of the new calf is yet to be determined but staff have nicknamed the youngster Dobby due to its resemblance to the much-loved Harry Potter character.
Aardvarks are native in sub-Saharan Africa where they are threatened by habitat loss as a result of agricultural development, which also bring them into conflict with local farmers. They are also hunted for their meat.
Dave White, Team Manager at the zoo, said:
“This is the very first aardvark to be born at the zoo and so it’s a momentous landmark for us and a real cause for celebration. We’re overjoyed.
“As soon as we spotted the new baby next to mum we noticed its uncanny resemblance to the Harry Potter character, Dobby, and so that’s the calf’s nickname for the time being! We won’t though know for certain whether it’s male or female for several more weeks until the calf is a little older.
“Aardvark parents are notorious for being a little clumsy around their newborns. With the baby being so tiny and fragile, we’re therefore protecting it from any accidental knocks and bumps by helping mum out with supplementary feeding sessions throughout the night, just until the calf is a little stronger. So, in the evening, when the parents are out exploring and feeding, we carefully place the calf into a special incubator and take it home to feed with warm milk every few hours. The calf then spends the daytime bonding and snuggled up with mum Oni inside her burrow – and they’re both doing great together.”
With only 66 aardvarks found in zoos across Europe, and a mere 109 in zoos worldwide, Chester is one of just a small number of zoos caring for the species.
Mark Brayshaw, Curator of Mammals at the zoo, added:
“Aardvarks are quite secretive creatures, which are mostly only ever active in darkness, and so some aspects of how they go about their lives remain relatively unknown. Caring for species like aardvarks in zoos enables us to learn more about them - how they live, their behaviours and their biology. All of this information is then shared with other leading conservation zoos and helps to better inform our efforts to preserve their numbers.
“This new calf joins a conservation breeding programme that only a handful of zoos are part of globally.”
The word aardvark translates to “earth pig” in the language of Afrikaans. The nocturnal animals use their long noses and keen sense of smell to sniff out ants and termites, which they lap up with a long tongue measuring up to 25cm, covered in sticky saliva. Aardvarks use their powerful claws to tear open termite mounds, as well as to dig underground burrows in which they sleep.
This spring, Chester Zoo’s new campaign, Discover Something New, will throw an important spotlight on unusual and lesser known species, like aardvarks. For more, visit: https://www.chesterzoo.org/discover-something-new/
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