An environmental group says a program to save one of Kenya's most famous animals has returned a group of mountain bongos to the wild.The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, said disease, illegal hunting and forest loss have left fewer than 100 wild mountain bongos.But last week, conservationists released five of the large creatures into the 3.1 square kilometer Mawingu Mountain Bongo Sanctuary near Mount Kenya."The mountain bongo is one of Kenya's most important iconic animals," said Najib Balala.He is the country's minister of tourism and wildlife.He spoke after cutting the ribbon at the sanctuary's opening ceremony on Wednesday.The bongo's release is the high point of a breeding and rewilding program that began in 2004.Rewilding is a term that means planning the introduction of a rare animal back into the wild.The goal is to have 50 to 70 bongos in the sanctuary by 2025, and 750 by 2050, the government says.
