New hope from Norfolk for Kenya’s Mountain Bongo.

The founder of the Watatunga Wildlife Reserve in West Norfolk has been in Kenya to see a project which could save the iconic mountain bongo from extinction.

Ed Pope joined fellow conservationists to celebrate the opening of the Mawingu Mountain Bongo Sanctuary.

He was invited by its patron, Humphrey Kariuki, who visited Watatunga last year.

Ed said: “I felt incredibly honoured to be present as a guest. I hope that one day, with the help of international stud books and conservationists around the world, we can work together to ensure the iconic mountain bongo does not become just another tragic statistic - extinct in the wild.

"The opening of Mawingu Mountain Bongo Sanctuary is thanks to many private individuals and conservation bodies that have worked together for the greater good of a species. It is very exciting that the work we are doing at Watatunga has been recognised as having a positive impact on this magnificent species."

The mountain bongo is already a star species at Watatunga. One of the highlights of a visit to the reserve is a sighting of the large chestnut-coloured antelope with white stripes and impressive horns, but these Norfolk-born African animals could soon be helping to save the species from extinction in the wild.

A combination of disease, poaching and loss of forest habitat from illegal logging and agriculture have left fewer than 100 in the wild.

In Kenya, Ed watched on as conservationists released five of the antelopes, which are native to the equatorial forests of Kenya, into the 776-acre sanctuary in the foothills of Mount Kenya, the first mountain bongo sanctuary in the world.

The bongo's release is the culmination of a breeding and rewilding program that began in 2004, which aims to have 50-70 fully rewilded bongos in the sanctuary by 2025, and 750 by 2050. Watatunga Wildlife Reserve hopes to collaborate, with the approval of the studbook and other stakeholders, to ensure the survival of this fantastic species.

Mountain bongos once roamed widely in large numbers, but the few remaining animals, live in isolated pockets of forest scattered around Kenya.

Visitors to Watatunga Wildlife Reserve can learn more about them as well as a variety of other threatened species from around the world on their guided tours which run from April. Find out more and book at www.watatunga.co.uk