Mountain bongos repatriated from Czech Republic to boost Kenya breeding programme

A group of critically endangered mountain bongos has been flown back into Kenya from the Czech Republic, marking a major step in efforts to rebuild a species once widespread across the country’s highland forests.

The antelopes, transported on a KLM cargo flight from Zoo Dvůr Králové, landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport before being moved under close supervision to the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy in the early hours of the morning.

Wildlife officials say the animals are now under continuous monitoring as they acclimatise to their new environment.

At the conservancy, the arrival has strengthened ongoing breeding and recovery work.

MKWC patron Humphrey Kariuki said the facility now hosts 102 bongos, with the newly repatriated males expected to improve genetic diversity and boost breeding success.

The transfer is part of Kenya’s National Recovery and Action Plan for the Mountain Bongo, which aims to eventually reintroduce the species into its native montane forests.

Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi, who received the animals at JKIA, described the development as a significant milestone for conservation.

“The story of the Mountain Bongo is, in many ways, a reflection of our broader environmental reality. Once thriving across our montane forest from the Aberdares to Mount Kenya, Mau, and Eburu, this iconic species now faces the stark reality of near extinction,” he said.

Mudavadi added that the effort is anchored in Kenya’s legal and policy framework for wildlife protection.

“Today’s milestone, anchored in science, collaboration, and long-term planning, the Mountain Bongo Recovery Programme aligns directly with Kenya’s national biodiversity strategies, our climate action commitments, and the global Sustainable Development Goals,” he stated.

He further highlighted the importance of cooperation between government agencies, conservation groups such as MKWC, and international partners in reversing biodiversity loss.

The repatriation is being viewed as part of a wider push to protect endangered species in Kenya, combining local conservation expertise with global support in a bid to restore populations that have been pushed to the brink.