Tourism & Wildlife CS Najib Balala has launched the construction of Mawingu Bongo breeding sanctuary for gradual re-wildering of the captive bongos back into the wild at Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy.
“Today, I am here to commission the construction of Mawingu Bongo breeding sanctuary for gradual re-wildering of the captive bongos back into the wild, this underscores my commitment and that of the Government to ensure no species goes into extinction due to decisions which we could have made to secure the species and therefore I call upon all the stakeholder to focus on the implementation of the recovery plan 2019-2025,” Tourism & Wildlife CS Najib Balala said.
Mawingu Mountain Bongo Sanctuary
The Mawingu Mountain Bongo Sanctuary, is an 800 acre indigenous forest area on the slopes of Mount Kenya. The Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) joined hands with the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and other key stakeholders to launch the sanctuary.
The Sanctuary is a fundamental element in the conservation of the species and represents the next step in its breeding program. It will enable the rewilding of the animals and provide the National Bongo Task Force with individuals for reintroduction into indigenous habitats such as Ragati, Eburu, Mau and Aberdares forests. This is with the aim to achieve a sustainable population in line with the National Mountain Bongo Recovery and Action Plan 2019-2023.
The Mountain Bongo, a beautiful, elusive and coppery red antelope with white stripes and spiral horns, is the largest forest antelope and can only be found in the wild in Kenya. Endemic to the country, the Mountain Bongo has been classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with its population in the wild having declined to less than 100 individuals due to poaching, diseases and destruction of habitat due to human encroachment.
“It is my belief that protecting our wildlife is a win-win endeavor, because it requires us to protect their habitats, which also happen to be critical to our own communities. Indeed, the Mountain Bongo is a species whose natural habitat also happens to consist of water towers that nourish our rivers, our farms, and our homes. Therefore, the milestone we are marking today is significant not only for the species itself, but also for our communities who will enjoy the added ecological benefits provided by healthier and Sustainable habitats and ecosystems,” said patron of the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy Humphrey Kariuki.
