By Emmanuel Onyango

One kain rare antelope wey dem dey call mountain bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci), wey dem don dey keep for American zoo for many years, don dey return go im original homeland for Kenya. Dem talk say di number of di animal for di wild no reach 100 again.

Di mountain bongo na critically endangered subspecies of antelope wey dem first find for central Kenya. Dem be di third biggest antelope for di world, and dem sabi dem with di reddish-brown skin and white vertical stripes wey dem get.

Back for di 1960s, di British colonial government carry most of di mountain bongo comot from Kenya go America. Some of dem even waka go Europe, as di colonial people dey carry African treasures anyhow.

Di ones wey dem dey carry go Kenya now na di pikin dem of di ones wey dem first carry go. Conservation people dey talk say dis kain move go help well well to save di species.

“Di action wey dem take that time na im save us because we no get any mountain bongo wey remain for di original home. Now, we fit ask make dem return di ones wey dem get,” na wetin Kenya Wildlife Services spokesperson Paul Udoto yarn give TRT Afrika.

“Our partners for di US don agree to help us return dem,” Udoto add.

Di latest batch of 17 mountain bongos (12 females and 5 males) wey dem carry come Kenya land on Sunday from di Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (RSCF). Dis one na part of Kenya effort to grow di population of di animal for di country.

Dem go keep di animals for Marania and Mucheene sanctuary for Meru County, and di plan na to increase di population reach 750 for di next 50 years, na wetin Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga tell journalists as dem dey offload di animals from di cargo plane for Nairobi airport.

“For di next three months, we dey expect five more mountain bongos from some zoos for Europe to help add genetic diversity so di population go fit grow well,” Kanga talk.

“All di mountain bongos wey dey outside, if we get di chance and support, we go bring dem all back,” Kanga add.

Di animals go dey isolation for at least three months so dem go fit monitor dem well and make dem adapt to di new environment before dem release dem for di wild, na wetin officials talk.

Di breeding and rewilding of di species don dey happen for di natural habitat for di foot of Mount Kenya, wey be di tallest mountain for Kenya.

Kenya Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano talk say di mountain bongos don “suffer plenty wahala over di years.”

“From habitat loss to poaching and disease, di number of mountain bongo don reduce well well. But even with all di wahala, we no gree give up on dis iconic species,” she talk.