Bongo have a patchy and uneven distribution in the forests of northern Congo. The bongo feeds on low-level fresh greenery, mixing browse and some grass, and so tends to readily find food in openings in the forest canopy that let in the light necessary for vegetation to flourish on the forest floor. This means that they are frequently found in areas of broken canopy forest, where there are naturally occurring forest clearings, areas of disturbance by elephants or logging. Bongo regularly use mineral licks and ingest soil to assist in digestion.