Kenya has begun a fresh five-year push to save the Mountain Bongo from extinction, with a new national plan focused on protecting the few animals left in the wild, restoring their forest habitats and returning the species to areas where it once lived.
The second edition of the National Recovery and Action Plan for the Mountain Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci), covering 2026 to 2030, aims to rebuild wild populations through habitat protection, scientific breeding, reintroduction programmes and closer cooperation among government agencies, conservation groups, researchers and local communities.
The plan was launched at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy during a joint event attended by the Kenyan Government, Mountain Bongo conservation partners and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) Committee, which is holding its meeting in Africa for the first time.
Led by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) through the National Bongo Taskforce, the strategy provides a framework for protecting existing populations in the Aberdares National Park and Maasai Mau while extending recovery work to other parts of the animal's former range.
The proposed areas include Mount Kenya, Eburu Forest and other suitable montane habitats that could support the return of the species.
The Mountain Bongo is found only in Kenya and is one of the country's most threatened large mammals.
Fewer than 65 are estimated to survive in the wild, placing the species in the Critically Endangered category on the IUCN Red List.
Its numbers have fallen over decades due to hunting and poaching, loss and damage to its habitat, disease and the breaking up of Kenya's montane forests.
The loss of connected forest areas has also left remaining groups isolated, making it more difficult for the animals to breed and maintain populations that can survive in the wild.
The new strategy therefore goes beyond protecting the small number of Mountain Bongos that remain. It seeks to rebuild populations that can eventually live and reproduce independently in their natural habitats.
KWS Director-General Prof Erustus Kanga described the new strategy as a major step in the country's efforts to save the species.
“This plan represents a turning point in Kenya’s efforts to bring the mountain bongo back from the brink of extinction,” Kanga said.
He said the strategy was developed through years of scientific research, planning and cooperation involving the government, communities and conservation partners in Kenya and abroad.
“A recovery plan is not just successful because it is well written. It is successful when it is implemented,” Kanga said.
Kanga said the immediate focus would be on securing the remaining animals, repairing damaged habitats, reconnecting isolated populations, improving breeding programmes and carrying out carefully planned reintroductions.
“Our task is clear; protect what remains, restore what has been lost, reconnect what has become isolated, strengthen breeding and reintroduce responsibly,” he said.
The plan introduces a long-term approach aimed at creating viable Mountain Bongo populations in several suitable habitats instead of concentrating recovery efforts in only a few areas.
Captive breeding will be a key part of the programme, with animals bred under conservation programmes potentially returned to suitable forests when the areas are considered safe and able to support them over the long term.
The strategy will also call for continued protection of forests and better management of landscapes where Mountain Bongos previously lived.
Kenya has set a long-term target of establishing self-sustaining populations across the country, with the plan aiming for the species to reach 750 individuals by 2075.
Kanga said the involvement of communities living around the country's montane forests would be essential to achieving the target.
“Our long-term goal is to establish self-sustaining mountain bongo populations across the country, reaching 750 individuals by 2075, while maintaining ecological integrity and supporting the livelihoods of communities living alongside these ecosystems,” he said.
The recovery plan also gives research a central role in the conservation programme. Scientific work will guide breeding efforts, habitat restoration, population monitoring and decisions on areas where Mountain Bongos can be safely returned.