Watch how Lion Country Safari introduces new species to the other animals on the Safari.
Lion Country Safari welcomed two male eastern bongo antelope to the safari. Makumi and Bakari, one-year-old and two-years-old respectively, relocated to Lion Country Safari in late April from a zoo in Naples. Following their arrival, they have spent some time acclimating to their new home.
Lion Country Safari did a slow introduction with two Bongos to see how they would interact with their other species.
"We actually let them out into what we call a "howdy situation" where there is a fence in between them and the other animals. So they can see the other animals, the other animals can see them so it's not just a shock when all of the sudden this giant red thing comes out. These guys honestly this entire time have been the most chill antelope that I've worked with--in a while at least," said lead keeper David Backus.
The duo is now visible to the public in the Kalahari Bushveldt section of the preserve.
Bongos are native to forest and savanna habitats in Africa. This species is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is in decline as a result of habitat loss and hunting.
