Mtoto on the move!

Mountain bongo are solitary animals and need a lot of space to roam around. They typically utilize a home range of around 10 square kilometers (4 square miles). However, this can vary depending on the availability of food and water. In areas with plenty of resources, mountain bongos may have a home range of up to 20 square kilometers (8 square miles).

The home range of a mountain bongo is usually centered around a water source, such as a stream or river. Bongo also require access to dense forest, as this provides them with shelter from predators, sun and rain.

However, captive mountain bongo may have a smaller home range, as they are limited by the size of their enclosure; like Mtoto at Watatunga. Our stunning reserve, based in West Norfolk, covers over 170 acres of woodland, grassland, wetland and lakes, creating a diverse habitat with plenty of enrichment for our male bongo to thrive in. 

But we were curious to know just how much of the reserve he was utilizing, so reserve operations manager Molly, slipped a tracking collar on him and monitored his movements over the course of a week. With the collar sending signals every 10 minutes, we have been able to tell of his whereabouts on tours and even where some of his favourite hangouts spots are!

Above you can see a map of the entire reserve; SADLY we lost signal part way through the week! But we’re fairly certain of his movements in the woodland due to staff and guest sightings on the animals rounds and tours! But take a look at the second map, we’ve zoomed in slightly so you can check out some of Mtoto’s hotspots!

As you can see, he’s most happy in his shed just above the woodland area where some of our more elusive species like to hang out! But that’s a LOT of purple, proving that he is indeed utilizing the reserve to its full potential… amazing!