Date with the mountain bongo

A male mountain bongo stands tall and proud in the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy in Nanyuki. [Photos: Wilberforce Okwiri/ Standard]

A fortnight ago, I had fared 190 kilometres north of Nairobi to Nanyuki, the capital of Laikipia, on a little recce of the district where the historic inaugural Giants Club Summit discussing the conservation of elephants would take place. The exact site of the summit was at Mount Kenya Game Ranch. It was the obvious choice of accommodation for its proximity and luxury. It is touted as one of the region’s finest, and is what country-club set simply refer to as the ‘The Club’.

My centre was, however, preoccupied by the plight of an equally important giant who has also faced the wrath of man to an almost extinction. I am talking of the Tragelaphus eurycerus, known to us laymen as bongo. Together with the wild dog and aardvark, the bongo makes it to my personal list of animals that I hope to chance upon in the wild.