bongo, spiral-horned antelope, Boocercus eurycerus, found in jungles and thick bamboo forests of equatorial Africa. Shy, elusive animals, bongos never emerge into the open and are seldom seen; they browse singly or in small groups. They are fairly large, heavy-bodied antelopes, with males standing 4 ft (120 cm) at the shoulder. Both sexes have horns; in the male these are up to 3 ft (90 cm) long. The body is rich chestnut brown with narrow white stripes running across the back and down the sides, a pattern that provides excellent camouflage in dense thickets. Bongos have been much prized as trophies by big-game hunters. They are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Artiodactyla, family Bovidae.

Bongo, Omar (El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba), 1935-, Gabonese political leader, president of Gabon (1967-), b. Albert-Bernard Bongo. He entered the civil service (1958), became minister of information and tourism in 1966, vice president in 1967, and then succeeded to the presidency. He created a one-party state (1968) and was reelected in 1973, 1979, and 1986. His rule has provided stability and attracted foreign investment, but protests forced him to reinstate a multiparty system in 1990. Bongo was reelected in 1993 and 1998 in elections generally regarded as unfair by observers; he triumphed over a divided opposition again in 2005.

Large, brightly coloured antelope (Tragelaphus eurycerus) found in dense forests of central Africa. Shy, swift, and elusive, the bongo lives in small groups or in pairs. It stands about 51 in. (1.3 m) at the shoulder and has an erect mane running the length of the back. Both sexes bear heavy, spirally twisted horns. The male is reddish brown to dark mahogany with black underparts, black-and-white legs, white head markings, and narrow, vertical white stripes on the body. The female is similarly marked but usually a brighter reddish brown.

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