In 2021, I had the opportunity to go on a tracking expedition, After three days of searching all I could only see were its tracks... Their reddish-brown coat with white vertical stripes helps them blend seamlessly into their forest habitat, making them difficult to spot amidst the dense foliage. This natural camouflage adds to their ghost-like quality, as they seem to materialize and disappear within the shadows of the forest

This majestic creature largely unknown to the wider world—the mountain bongo, the largest forest antelope on the planet. Despite its impressive size and striking appearance, the bongo remains shrouded in obscurity, its plight overlooked by many.

After not meeting an actual bongo in the wild, I've been lucky to be part of this important work as a conservation photographer, taking pictures of the many efforts to protect these amazing animals and ensure their safe future.

Three years later, I got the chance to share more through images.

Probably 100 or fewer adult individuals remain in the wild. It is found only in Kenya, split across four isolated mountain forest areas.

With the expansion of local populations nearby, these forests all are compromised by human activities. Threats range from illegal logging and charcoal burning to bushmeat hunting with dogs and snares.

“According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the Mountain Bongos are now listed as Critically Endangered.”

— IUCN Red list