A rare eastern bongo antelope was born two weeks ago at the Denver Zoo, with reports that both mother and baby are doing fine.
The male bongo antelope, named Mkono (muh-ko’-no), which is Swahili for “Handful,” was born March 30. Zookeepers kept mother and son hidden from public view to let the calf grow used to his surroundings. The two are now in public view, with the calf frequently romping around the outdoor habitat with his 15-month-old sister, Maddie.
The mother, Megan, has given birth to five calves. Mkono weighed 45 pounds at birth and is expected to grow to about 900 pounds.
Bongos have deep orange coats, vertical white stripes and large, slightly spiraled horns that can grow to 3 feet long. They are classified into two groups: the more common western bongo and the endangered eastern bongo, which are now found only in parts of Kenya.
