Question 1

True or false: A bongo’s stripes help it blend into dappled sunlight on the forest floor.

Accepted Answer

True. True. Their reddish coat with white vertical stripes provides camouflage in the sun-dappled undergrowth of Central African rainforests.

Question 2

True or false: Bongos are the heaviest of all forest antelope species.

Accepted Answer

True. True. Adult male bongos can weigh up to 900 pounds, making them the largest forest-dwelling antelope in the world.

Question 3

True or false: Bongos are the only African forest antelope where both sexes grow horns.

Accepted Answer

True. True. Unlike many antelope, male and female bongos both sport spiraled horns, a rare trait in African forest dwellers.

Question 4

True or false: The word 'bongo' originally referred to a type of drum used in Cuban music.

Accepted Answer

False. False. The drum is 'bongos' (plural); 'bongo' as an antelope name predates the musical term in English.

Question 5

True or false: Baby bongos are born with spots instead of stripes for extra camouflage.

Accepted Answer

False. False. Bongo calves have the same stripe pattern as adults, though their coat is slightly duller until they mature.

Question 6

True or false: Bongos can run up to 50 miles per hour when startled by predators.

Accepted Answer

False. False. While fast for their size, bongos top out around 35 mph; they rely more on hiding in thick cover than sprinting.

Question 7

True or false: Bongos have a prehensile tongue that can grasp leaves like a giraffe’s.

Accepted Answer

True. True. Their long, flexible tongue helps them strip leaves and bark from branches, much like giraffes do with acacia trees.

Question 8

True or false: Bongos are known to migrate over 500 miles each year in search of food.

Accepted Answer

False. False. Bongos are sedentary forest dwellers, not long-distance migrants; they stay within small home ranges in dense vegetation.

Bongo Trivia Questions