MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA: The Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum is excited to announce the addition of three new Bongo to the African hoof stock herd. A female calf, Juni, born May 16, 2019 to Gertty, another adult female, Heidi and a juvenile male, Naveen. Heidi and Naveen just arrived at the Montgomery Zoo from the Greater Richmond Zoo. Juni is Gertty’s second calf and the second born at the Montgomery Zoo in two years.
The press and public are invited to join the Zoo in celebrating the debut of these new animals on Thursday, July 18, 2019, 10:00 a.m. at the African Realm observation deck between the Elephants and Cheetahs. Following Thursday’s introduction to the public the Bongos will be on display every other day depending on weather conditions and animal husbandry needs.
About Bongos
Bongos (Tragelaphus eurycerus) are large, heavy-bodied antelope with short and glossy, orange or chestnut colored coats that is darker on the underside and patterned with vertical white stripes are found inhabiting the dense forests of Eastern, Western and Central Africa. They are the largest forest-dwelling antelope species and one of the most distinctive, with long horns that spiral as high as 35 inches in males. Bongos are herbivorous mammals, meaning they only feed on plants roots, bark and grasses and generally eat under the cover of night to keep them safe from predators. Although they tend to be most active between dusk and dawn, Bongos are known to occasionally browse during the day but will never leave the dense vegetation that surrounds them. To help them to cool down in the heat, Bongos wallow in mud which they then rub onto a tree as a way of polishing their smooth and heavy horns.
About the Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum
The Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum is a 42-acre zoological facility, located minutes from downtown Montgomery dedicated to animal conservation and education. Accredited by the Zoological Association of American, the Zoo is home to approximately 400 animals from Africa, Asia, Australia, North and South America. The Mann Wildlife Learning Museum spans 28,000 square feet and houses one of the Southeast’s largest collections of preserved North American wildlife and artifacts.
The Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum is open daily from 9:00 am-4:00 pm (closed only on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day). For more information contact the Zoo at 334-625-4900 or visit montgomeryzoo.com.
The Montgomery Zoo is a Department of the City of Montgomery, Alabama.
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