The Bongo is a shy and elusive creature that is seldom seen by people due to its highly nocturnal lifestyle. As with many other antelope species, Bongos turn and flee almost immediately when they feel threatened and can disappear quickly into the surrounding forest, running with their horns laid back against their body to prevent them from getting tangled up in the vegetation.

Male Bongos are solitary and will only come into contact with other Bongos to breed, whereas although females can be found on their own, they often form herds that can contain up to 50 members and consist of the females and their young (for protection). Bongos produce a variety of different calls so they are able to communicate including grunts, snorts, moos and bleating to warn others of approaching danger or when they are in distress.

It is a herbivorous mammal which means that they only feed on plant matter in order to gain the nutrition that they need to survive. Bongos are selective browsers that feed on leaves, roots, bark and grasses under the cover of night to keep them safer from the numerous carnivorous predators that they share their habitats with.