The bongo or forest antelope, Tragelaphus eurycerus , is a large, rare African antelope that lives in dense mountain forests and lowland rainforests . They are fast runners who can also jump very well, but they often go around or under obstacles in the forest. These shy antelopes like to wallow in mud. Bongos were first described by Ogilby in 1837. Like all horns, they are not shed, but continue to grow throughout the bongo's life.
Males are larger and darker than females.
They eat leaves, shrubs, flowers, young shoots, and grasses. They spend most of their time browsing, using their prehensile tongue to get vegetation, and using their horns to uproot young plants. Bongos have been known to eat burnt wood, perhaps for its salt content.