Rare mountain bongo born at Chester Zoo

Zookeepers have called the female calf Navari

Africa's rarest large mammal has been born at Chester Zoo.

The female bongo mountain bongo is only the second to be born at the Cheshire attraction in the last 15 years.

Mike Jordan, from the zoo, said the calf - named Navari - was an "incredibly precious new arrival".

Mountain bongos are antelopes that live in forests, and there are just 50 in the wild.

'Celebrate'

The mountain bongo is distinguishable by its vibrant reddish-brown coat featuring thin white vertical stripes.

These act as camouflaged in the forest by breaking up their body shape.

Mr Jordan, director of plants and animals, said it was "desperately sad" its population size has been reduced to such a small number.

"Hope, however, is certainly not lost and our zoo teams are fighting on a number of fronts to ensure these highly threatened animals have a long-term future," he said.

The mountain bongo has a vibrant reddish-brown coat with thin white vertical stripes, which help them to stay camouflaged in the forest

Mr Jordan added the zoo was part of an international conservation breeding programme for the subspecies.

He said Navari was a "vitally important addition" and that her birth "was something to really celebrate".

The zoo is working alongside the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service, as well as academics in the UK and the zoo community across Europe, to move a number of the animals from zoos in Europe to Africa.

Dr Nick Davis, general manager of mammals at Chester Zoo, coordinates the conservation breeding programme.

He said the zoo is at the forefront of bongo conservation.

"We’ve already been involved in a number of breakthrough discoveries, such as finding them living in Uganda for the first time.

"This has laid a foundation for us to integrate conservation efforts by zoos with those in the wild – offering better hope for the future survival of these incredible animals."