What antelopes live in Mt. Cameroon? (1 Viewer)

Arbu · May 31, 2020

On 12th March 2014 I saw a beautiful antelope on Mt. Cameroon, it was climbing up out of a crater lake in the forest at about 1650m. Gone too quickly for a photo unfortunately. Big and a rich orange-brown colour with pronounced white stripes. At the time I took it to be a Bongo, but I can't find any references to them occurring on Mt. Cameroon. Is there something else it could have been?

THE_FERN · May 31, 2020

Arbu said:
On 12th March 2014 I saw a beautiful antelope on Mt. Cameroon, it was climbing up out of a crater lake in the forest at about 1650m. Gone too quickly for a photo unfortunately. Big and a rich orange-brown colour with pronounced white stripes. At the time I took it to be a Bongo, but I can't find any references to them occurring on Mt. Cameroon. Is there something else it could have been?

Perhaps sitatunga

Arbu · Jun 1, 2020

THE_FERN said:
Perhaps sitatunga

I don't think so. Only the female siatunga has the stripes and rufous colour, and what I saw was too big for that and had horns. I think it was a bongo.

JWN Andrewes · Jun 1, 2020

Harnessed Bushbuck?

Arbu · Jun 1, 2020

JWN Andrewes said:
Harnessed Bushbuck?

Possibly. I recall stripes much more like those of a Bongo, but maybe I'm wrong.

I had the Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals with me which doesn't have a map for Bongo, but just says that it is still common in parts of Cameroon, so I didn't think that there was any difficulty with the ID at the time. But now it looks a lot more questionable.

THE_FERN · Jun 2, 2020

Arbu said:
Possibly. I recall stripes much more like those of a Bongo, but maybe I'm wrong.

I had the Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals with me which doesn't have a map for Bongo, but just says that it is still common in parts of Cameroon, so I didn't think that there was any difficulty with the ID at the time. But now it looks a lot more questionable.

Attached = map from the kingdon guide for Bongo

Arbu · Jun 2, 2020

THE_FERN said:
Attached = map from the kingdon guide for Bongo

Thanks, looks like they forgot it in the 2003 reprint.

T.O. · Jun 2, 2020

Without more details it isn't possible to say whether you have seen a Bushbuck or a Bongo. It must be noted that Bongo are quite hard to see in the wild, whereas Bushbuck are much easier.

Arbu · Jun 2, 2020

T.O. said:
Without more details it isn't possible to say whether you have seen a Bushbuck or a Bongo. It must be noted that Bongo are quite hard to see in the wild, whereas Bushbuck are much easier.

Indeed. Not much more to add, except that it was first thing in the morning and the animal climbed up out of the lake as we arrived without making a sound before disappearing into the bush. Here's a photo of the lake for the sake of interest.

I would think that Mt. Cameroon is rather underobserved. I met just one other tourist while climbing the mountain. The locals don't seem to visit much, maybe because they are afraid of bush elephants.

jurek · Jun 2, 2020

Bushbuck. Bongo is not reported from Mt Cameroon and generally almost impossible to see in the wild. If you remember size - Bongo is much bigger and heavier than the Bushbuck.

http://www.mtcameroonnationalpark.org/DiscoverThePark.html#Fauna
http://documents.worldbank.org/cura...4/pdf/E23260V30REPLA00Box391426B00PUBLIC0.pdf

Arbu · Jun 2, 2020

jurek said:
Bushbuck. Bongo is not reported from Mt Cameroon and generally almost impossible to see in the wild. If you remember size - Bongo is much bigger and heavier than the Bushbuck.

http://www.mtcameroonnationalpark.org/DiscoverThePark.html#Fauna
http://documents.worldbank.org/cura...4/pdf/E23260V30REPLA00Box391426B00PUBLIC0.pdf

Yes, it was big and heavy! But I'll count it as a Bushbuck until such time as someone discovers Bongos on Mount Cameroon. Clearly from the photo on your first link the Bushbuck of Mt. Cameroon are a very rich colour with prominent white stripes, which accords with what I saw.

What antelopes live in Mt. Cameroon? (1 Viewer)

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