In Kenya, the "ghost of the forest", feared to be extinct, has been spotted again
In Kenya, scientists have for the first time in over five years captured on camera traps images of mountain bongos — rare antelopes known as the "ghost of the forest" due to their elusive lifestyle and ability to remain unnoticed in dense forests, Iflscience.com reports .
Illustrative image. Photo: MBP and Chester Zoo
Previously, it was believed that these animals had disappeared from the Maasai-Mau region and survived only in the Aberdare Mountains. The sharp decline in their numbers was caused by poaching and the destruction of their natural habitat. Today, the mountain bongo is on the verge of extinction.
To assess the population status, scientists and conservationists set up a network of camera traps in various forest areas, including approximately 200 kilometers from the Aberdare Mountains. The discovery was a real sensation: cameras recorded several bongos in a remote fragment of the Maasai-Mau forest.
According to specialists, one of these males might have already been seen by researchers back in 2018, but only now has documentary evidence of its presence been obtained.
Conservationists note that this discovery offers new hope for the species' survival. According to the latest estimates, fewer than 40 mountain bongos remain in the wild. Therefore, additional measures are now being developed to protect the forests where these animals were spotted.
Part of the species conservation program also involves breeding bongos in zoos with subsequent release into the wild. Specialists hope this will help increase the number of animals and preserve their genetic diversity.
According to researchers, the return of the "ghost of the forest" to Maasai-Mau indicates that even very rare species can persist in nature much longer than previously thought. They emphasize that the disappearance of this unusual antelope would be a great loss for the entire global natural heritage.
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