Kenya receives 17 rare antelopes repatriated from USA

A night flight at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) brings with it a special delivery for the country and its conservation efforts: aboard the cargo plane were over a dozen animals, making their return home after years away in Florida, USA.

The 17 mountain bongos are the third generation of mountain bongos that were taken from Kenya to the US in the 1960s.

Their return is a major boost to Kenya’s efforts to increase their numbers, according to Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano.

This is the second batch of mountain bongos that have been brought back to Kenya. In 2004, Kenya received a group of mountain bongos and CS Miano said it is also expecting the third batch soon.

Mountain bongos are a rare and critically endangered sub-species of the bongo antelope and are endemic to Kenya.

They are known to inhabit the dense Aberdares and Mount Kenya forests.

This batch of bongos will be held in isolation in Meru to acclimatise before being released into the natural habitat, where hopefully, they will produce a different breed, that will stem the feared extinction of the species.