Okapi (Okapia Johnstoni) - Animals - A-Z Animals Five groups that classify all living things Animalia A group of animals within the animal kingdom Chordata A group of animals within a pylum Mammalia A group of animals within a class Artiodactyla A group of animals within an order Giraffidae A group of animals within a family Okapia Comprised of the genus followed by the species Okapia johnstoni Most widely used name for the species Okapi The domestic group such as cat or dog Mammal The specific area where the animal lives Dense mountain rainforest The colour of the animal's coat or markings Red, Brown, Black, White The protective layer of the animal Fur How long (L) or tall (H) the animal is 1.5m - 2m (4.9ft - 6.5ft) The measurement of how heavy the animal is 200kg - 300kg (440lbs - 660lbs) The fastest recorded speed of the animal 60kph (37mph What kind of foods the animal eats Herbivore The food that the animal gains energy from Leaves, Shoots, Fruit Other animals that hunt and eat

 the animal Leopard, Serval, Human Whether the animal is solitary or sociable Diurnal How long the animal lives for 20 - 30 years The average number of babies born at once 1 The likelihood of the animal becoming extinct Near Threatened Horizontal white stripes on rear and legs Fun Fact: Eats more than 100 different types of plant!

Okapi Location Okapi Okapi Classification and Evolution The Okapi is an elusive herbivore that is found in a small pocket of tropical mountain forest in central Africa . Despite it's Deer-like appearance the Okapi is actually one of the last remaining ancestors of the Giraffe , which is the tallest animal on Earth. Along with having a relatively long neck compared to it's body size , the most striking feature of the Okapi is the horizontal stripes that are particularly visible on their behinds and give this animal an almost Zebra-like appearance. The Okapi is very shy and secretive, so much so in fact that they were not recognised as a distinct species by western science until the earth 20th century. Although they are seldom seen by people, the Okapi is not an endangered species as they are thought to be fairly common in their remote habitats. Okapi Anatomy and Appearance Like it's distant and much larger ancestor, the Okapi has a long neck which not only helps it to reach leaves that are higher up, but also provides the Okapi with a tool to both defend itself and it's territory .

The Okapi has a red-brown coloured coat of fur with horizontal, white striped markings that are found on their hind quarters and at the tops of their legs, and provide the Okapi with excellent camouflage in the dense jungle. They have white ankles with a dark spot above each hoof and very thick skin to help protect them from injury. The Okapi has a long head and dark muzzle with large set-back ears which enable the Okapi to detect approaching predators easily. The Okapi also has an impressively long tongue, which is not only black in colour but it is also prehensile meaning that it is able to grab hold of leaves from the branches above. Okapi Distribution and Habitat The Okapi is found in the dense tropical rainforests of north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo generally at an altitude that can vary between 500 and 1,000 meters, although the majority of individuals are thought to inhabit areas at roughly 800 meters above sea level. They are incredibly shy and elusive animals and rely heavily on the very thick foliage around them to protect them from being spotted by predators .

The Okapi can also be found in areas where there is a slow-moving fresh water source, but the range of the Okapi is very much limited by natural barriers, with unsuitable habitats on all four sides trapping these animals into the 63,000 square kilometre Ituri Rainforest . Around a fifth of the rainforest is today made up of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, which is a World Heritage Site. Although they are thought to be common in their native region, the Okapi has been severely threatened by habitat loss particularly from deforestation. Okapi Behaviour and Lifestyle The Okapi is a diurnal animal meaning that they are most active during the day when they spend the majority of their time roaming set paths through the forest in search of food. They are solitary animals with the exception of the time mothers spend with their calves but are known to tolerate other individuals and may occasionally feed together in small groups for a short period of time. Okapi have overlapping home ranges with males tending to occupy a larger territory than females, which is marked with both urine and by rubbing their necks on trees. Males also use their necks to fight with one other to both settle disputes over territory and to compete to mate with a female during the breeding season.

Okapis are known to also communicate with one another using quiet "chuff" sounds and rely heavily on their hearing in the surrounding forest where they are not able to see very far at all. Okapi Reproduction and Life Cycles After a gestation period that can last for up to 16 months, the female Okapi retreats into the dense vegetation where she gives birth to a single calf. Like many hoofed-herbivores, the Okapi calf is usually able to stand within half an hour when mother and baby then begin starting to look for a good nest spot. They remain in their nest deep in the undergrowth for the majority of the next two months which not only helps the calf to develop more rapidly but also gives it vital protection from hungry predators . Although the female Okapi will protect and feed her vulnerable calf, the two are not thought to share the same close bond that occurs with numerous other hoofed mammals . Although they do begin to develop their white stripes at a fairly young age, the young Okapi do not reach their full adult size until they are roughly three years old. They are generally weaned at around 6 months old but may continue to suckle from their mother for more than a year.

Okapi Diet and Prey The Okapi is a herbivorous animal meaning that it survives on a diet that is only comprised of plant matter. They eat leaves, shoots and twigs that are drawn into their mouths using their long prehensile tongue along with fruits, berries and other plant parts. The Okapi will even eat fungi on occasion and is known to eat more than 100 different types of plant, many of which are poisonous to other animals and Humans . Along with consuming a vast variety of plant material, the Okapi is also known to eat a reddish clay that provides essential salt and minerals to it's plant-based diet . The Okapi spends a great deal of the daylight hours in search of food and walks quietly along well-trodden paths that it uses regularly to ensure an easier escape from predators . Okapi Predators and Threats Due to the fact that the Okapi inhabits such a secluded region of mountain rainforest , it actually has surprisingly few common predators particularly in comparison to similar species . The main predator of the Okapi is the Leopard , which is one of the world's largest and most powerful felines and an animal that spends a lot of time resting in the trees.

Unlike other predators which the Okapi's acute hearing would sense moving through the undergrowth, the Leopard's position above ground means that they are able to both survey the surrounding area for potential prey and are also able to ambush it from above. Other predators of the Okapi include the Serval and Human hunters in the area, but the biggest threat to the world's Okapi population is habitat loss due to deforestation. Okapi Interesting Facts and Features One of the most distinctive features of both the Okapi and the Giraffe is their long prehensile tongue which can not only be used to grab onto leaves and branches but it also assists the animal when grooming. The tongue of the Okapi is in fact so long, that they are one of the few animals in the world that are said to be able to lick their own ear! Although they are quite rare and very secretive animals , there were sightings of the Okapi in these forests but these generally involved seeing the animal from behind and so the Okapi was known by many as a Forest Zebra .

The Okapi was not classified as a distinct species until 1900 - 1901, when Harry Johnston sent two pieces of Zebra-like skin to London which was analysed and meant that a new species had been recorded. Okapi Relationship with Humans Until the beginning of the last century, the Okapi itself was not known to western scientists but the native people of the region were known to hunt this rare and elusive animal for both it's meat and it's thick hide. Today this secretive animal is still seldom seen in the high mountain rainforests of central Africa both due to it's shy nature and it's excellent camouflage amongst the dense foliage, so much of what we know about the Okapi is from observations of individuals found in zoos and animal institutions around the world. This however was not really successful until the introduction of planes as the trauma endured by the animal on trains on boats often meant that there was a high mortality rate of the individuals that were captured. Okapi Conservation Status and Life Today Although they are thought to be fairly common throughout their naturally isolated range, the Okapi has been listed by the IUCN as an animal that is Near Threatened from extinction in it's natural environment .

This is due to the increase of deforestation in parts of their natural habitat along with the fact that they are becoming increasingly caught on snares and other traps that are set by locals to catch other animals . The Okapi has been protected by law in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formally Zaire) since 1933, and the IUCN last estimated that there were between 10,000 and 35,000 individuals left in the wild. Share This Article Learn how you can use or cite the Okapi article in your website content, school work and other projects. First Published: 13th May 2009 [View Sources] Sources: 1. About the Okapi (Date Unknown) Available at: [Accessed at: 13 May 2009] 2. David Burnie, Dorling Kindersley (2008) Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 13 May 2009] 3. David Burnie, Kingfisher (2011) The Kingfisher Animal Encyclopedia [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2011] 4. David W.

Macdonald, Oxford University Press (2010) The Encyclopedia Of Mammals [Accessed at: 01 Jan 2010] 5. Dorling Kindersley (2006) Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 13 May 2009] 6. Okapi Conservation (Date Unknown) Available at: [Accessed at: 13 May 2009] 7. Okapi Information (Date Unknown) Available at: [Accessed at: 13 May 2009] 8. Richard Mackay, University of California Press (2009) The Atlas Of Endangered Species [Accessed at: 13 May 2009] 9. Tom Jackson, Lorenz Books (2007) The World Encyclopedia Of Animals [Accessed at: 13 May 2009] Are you Safe? Are You Safe? is an online safety campaign by A-Z-Animals.com. If something has upset you, the Are You Safe? campaign can help you to speak to someone who can help you.

Okapi | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants SPECIES: johnstoni ABOUT It's related to giraffes?! The okapi (pronounced oh-COP-ee) is a beautiful and unusual animal. With its white-and-black striped hindquarters and front legs, it looks like it must be related to zebras! But take a look at an okapi’s head, and you’ll notice a resemblance to giraffes. The okapi is indeed the only living relative of the giraffe. Like a giraffe, the okapi has very large, upright ears, which catch even slight sounds, helping the animal avoid trouble. The okapi also has a long, dark, prehensile tongue, just like a giraffe’s, to help it strip the buds and young leaves from the understory brush of its rain forest home. Okapis are hard to find in the wild. Their natural habitat is the Ituri Forest, a dense rain forest in central Africa. Okapis are very wary, and their highly developed hearing alerts them to run when they hear humans in the distance.

In fact, while natives of the Ituri Forest knew of okapis and would occasionally catch one in their pit traps, scientists did not know of the animal until 1900. The secretive nature of okapis and the difficulty most humans have of traveling in their habitat have made okapis hard to observe in the wild. Therefore, researchers can only estimate how many okapis live there. It is believed that there are currently about 25,000 okapis in the wild. HABITAT AND DIET Made for a rain forest: The okapi's home is in the tropical rain forest in the northeast region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). Why does the okapi have zebra-like stripes? These markings, which seem very bold to us, give the animal great camouflage when hiding in the partial sunlight that filters through its dense rain forest habitat. The stripes may also help a young okapi follow its mother through the dark forest, and they may help adults find each other, too. The okapi’s dark purplish or reddish brown fur is dense and feels like velvet. It’s also oily, so water slides right off, keeping the okapi dry on rainy days.

Only the males have horns, which are covered by skin and are short and slant backwards so they won’t get tangled in forest branches. If okapis are related to giraffes, why aren’t they as tall as giraffes? In a rain forest, there are trees with branches hanging down, as well as roots and tree trunks to dodge. Okapis need to have shorter legs and necks to help them swerve around these obstacles. Being really tall is not a good idea in a forest! Okapis often travel up to 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) a day in search of food, usually along trails worn down by generations of okapis. They are generally solitary animals, unless an adult female has a calf with her. Adult males have home ranges that cover more area, and they can travel up to 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) a day. The males try to keep other males out of their territories but allow females to travel through in search of food. Both male and female okapis are most active during the afternoon through the evening.

They are important forest browsers, eating 40 to 65 pounds (18 to 29 kilograms) of leaves, twigs, and fruits each day and leaving a “pruning line” in the foliage. Okapis use their prehensile tongue to get food by pulling leaves from trees and into their mouth. The tongue is also an important grooming tool, helping to keep the velvety soft, short coat in tip-top shape. Okapis have also been seen eating clay and burnt charcoal, probably for minerals. And just like giraffes, sheep, and goats, okapis are ruminants. At the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, okapis are fed alfalfa hay and pellets, leafy acacia branches, carrots, and yams. FAMILY LIFE I smell you: While okapis travel for the most part by themselves within their home ranges, they still have ways of communicating with others whose ranges overlap. A scent gland on each foot leaves behind a sticky, tar-like substance wherever they have walked, marking their territory. Okapis have a great sense of smell. By checking the ground, an okapi can tell if another okapi has been there.

Males also mark their territory by urine spraying. Normally silent, female okapis vocalize only when they are ready to breed. Okapi newborns can stand up within 30 minutes of birth and nurse for the first time within an hour of birth. They have the same coloring as an adult but have a short fringe of hair along the spine, which generally disappears by the time they are 12 to 14 months old. In the wild, mothers hide their newborn calves in one spot, returning regularly to allow the calf to nurse. An okapi calf starts trying solid food at just three weeks old and defecates (poops) for the first time between four and eight weeks of age. This adaptation helps keep predators from sniffing out the hidden newborns until they have had a chance to grow and gain strength. Calves triple their size by the end of their second month but do not reach full adult size until three years of age. Okapis are very shy animals. Their reddish brown-black coat camouflages them in the deep forest. In the thick trees and underbrush, okapis rely on their hearing to warn them of danger. Their huge ears pick up even the softest sounds coming from any direction.

They listen for leopards, which hunt adult okapis, as well as smaller wild cats, which can attack a young calf. San Diego Zoo researchers discovered that okapis have a secret language. They watched okapis closely and recorded their sounds. The researchers heard coughs, bleats, and whistles quite often, but it wasn’t until they returned to the Sensory Ecology Lab to examine their recordings closely that they realized okapis also use other calls with very low frequencies. These calls are so low, in fact, that we humans cannot hear them at all! It’s only when we look at recordings via specialized computer software that these infrasonic mutterings become visible. Our researchers then recorded our okapis around the clock to find out why they use these low-pitched calls. One explanation is that these calls have evolved for communication between Mom and her baby while she’s out foraging. In this situation, Mom can “check in” with her offspring without alerting potential predators of the fact that her baby is vulnerable. Predators remain unaware of these chats, as, like us, they cannot hear sounds so low in pitch.

It’s the okapi version of students who text message each other in class so that the teacher is unaware that they are “talking.” AT THE ZOO Most people have never seen an okapi before. But they’re easy to find as your explore the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park! Okapis first came to the San Diego Zoo in 1956, and we celebrated our first okapi birth with the arrival of Baruti in 1962. Since then, we’ve had 58 births of this species, including our newest calf, born on September 4, 2011, at the Safari Park, and we’ve sent them to other zoos in the U.S., South Africa, and Japan. At the Zoo, our first okapi, a male named Bayahu, was a gift to us from the government of the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The telegram notifying us of the gift offer came as a complete surprise, and at first we were uncertain that our translation of the message from French into English was correct.

But by coincidence, Jean Delacour, director of the Los Angeles County Museum at the time and a native of France, walked into the Zoo director’s office shortly after the telegram arrived and quickly verified that this was an offer of a male okapi. We responded within the hour, and after just five months and many telegrams and phone calls, our okapi arrived by airplane to be greeted with much fanfare at the airport. In 1978, a male and female okapi were transferred from the Zoo to our fledgling sister facility, the Safari Park, to establish a breeding nucleus there. Today, the Zoo’s okapis can be found along the Hippo Trail in Lost Forest. Their exhibit is designed to let guests enjoy a good look at these beautiful animals without disturbing them. Here they have sunny, grassy areas and shady spots for nibbling leaves, as well as nooks and crannies they can retreat to. At the Safari Park, a small herd of okapis can be viewed easily in their shady, luxurious habitat in African Woods. There have been four generations of okapis born at the Safari Park! CONSERVATION The changing politics of central Africa, hunting, and the continued loss of habitat threaten the beautiful okapi.

Fortunately, in 1952, one-fifth of okapi habitat in Africa’s Ituri Forest was set aside as a wildlife reserve. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve, with support from San Diego Zoo Global, other zoos and conservation organizations, and the local people, continues to protect and to support study of this rare and unusual forest dweller. As an “umbrella” species in conservation efforts, helping to save okapis also helps protect a large number of other species in the same area of Africa. Until recently, to see an okapi in Africa you would need to spend days or even weeks in the Ituri Forest. And even then, you probably wouldn’t see one, as they are elusive and live in a difficult habitat for most humans to move around in. This is why most people in Africa have never seen an okapi, other than in a photo, and many zoos can’t afford to give them a home. In 2007, San Diego Zoo Global sent two of our okapis to the Pretoria Zoo in South Africa. For the first time, people on that continent who visit that zoo can actually see these amazing animals.

As they admire and learn about okapis, we believe they will want to help protect the animals and their forest home. We still work with the Pretoria Zoo on conservation projects and hope to send more okapis there to start a breeding program. LIFE SPAN Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens | Okapi Fast Fact: The okapi (pronounced “oh-KAH-pea”) is the only known living relative of the giraffe. STATUS: Okapi are listed as endangered as of 2015, per the IUCN Red List. Because of their secretive life in the dense forest, population assessments are difficult. It is estimated that there are only 10,000 to 20,000 okapis remaining in the wild. The leopard is a natural predator. The bushmeat trade now threatens all large forest animals. HABITAT: The okapi is found in central Africa in a very limited habitat in the Ituri Forest, a thick tropical rain forest in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Okapi live near waterways between 1,650 and 3,300 feet altitude, but they avoid swamps DIET: Okapi are herbivorous and their diet in the wild consists of foliage (leaves, soft twigs, and shoots). In captivity, their diet may contain fresh produce (including carrots, apples, onions) as well as food pellets and alfalfa hay. Salt licks are used, as well. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Like the giraffe, the okapi’s body slopes down from the shoulders and the legs are long, allowing it to reach higher foliage when browsing. The 14-18 inch long, prehensile tongue helps to draw browse into their mouth and it can be used to groom their own eyes, ears and nostrils. Okapi have a four-chambered stomach and the ability to regurgitate their food (cud) and chew it in order to obtain more nutrition. About the size of a horse, an adult okapi stands over six feet at the head and weighs between 400-700 pounds. The female is slightly taller and heavier. The male has two skin-covered horns which develop between the first and third years.

The coat is lustrous, oily and velvety and each okapi has a unique pattern of zebra-like stripes on the rump and upper parts of the legs. This coloration provides camouflage in the dappled light of the forest and may serve as a “follow me” pattern for the young. BEHAVIOR: The okapi is shy, secretive, and diurnal (active during the day). It is usually solitary and it follows a well-trodden network of trails. Unlike giraffe, okapi are never found in herds. Scent glands just above the hooves leave a scented trail through the forest. Dominant male okapi establish a home range and they mate with females who pass through their territory. Calves are born after 14-15 months of gestation, and are weaned in 6 months. Females are able to have offspring at approximately 2 years. Extra Special Communication Although okapi have a well developed sense of smell, they rely mainly on hearing in the dense forest. They make sounds that are audible to humans, including a cough call, or “chuff,” and the young may bleat and whistle to their mother.

In addition, okapi have vocalizations that are below the frequency range that humans can hear. The low frequency, calls can travel long distances through the forest. They provide a way for okapi to converse without being heard by their potential enemies. Okapi Okapi Okapia johnstoni [P. L. Sclater, 1901]. Citation: Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1901(1):50. Type locality: Zaire, Semliki Forest, Mundala. Click on the pictures above for a larger view of the photographs General Characteristics Body Length: 200-210 cm / 6.6-7 ft. Shoulder Height: 150-170 cm / 5-5.6 ft. Tail Length: 30-42 cm / 12-16.8 in. Weight: 210-250 kg / 462-550 lb. The velvet-like coat is generally dark chestnut-brown or purplish red in colour, with distinctive pattern of horizontal stripes, much like those of a zebra, on the upper legs.

The lower legs are white, with dark garters at the joints. The vaguely horse-like head is generally lighter, with a black muzzle, and is supported by a thick neck. The ears are large, and the black tongue is long and prehensile. The body is sloped, with the forequarters much higher than the rear. Males have two skin covered 'horns' or knobs on the forehead which develop between one and five years of age. Ontogeny and Reproduction Sexual Maturity: Females at 2 years, males later. Life span: Over 30 years. Young are born from August to October. Expectant mothers retreat into dense forest to give birth, after which the newborn lies hidden for several days. The young do not seem to imprint on their mothers, and have been observed nursing from two different females. Ecology and Behavior The okapi is active during the day, using fixed, well-trodden paths through the jungle. To locate breeding partners, okapis use their well-developed sense of smell. While usually silent, okapis may make a soft cough during the rut. Young animals, on the other hand, have a wide repertoire of noises, including coughs, bleats, and whistles.

The number of these vocalizations increase when the mother and child are separate. Mothers are very protective of their young, defending it vigorously. Before fighting begins, the female sends out a threat by beating on the ground with her forelegs. Estimated population densities range from 0.8-2.3 animals per square kilometer. Okapis have individual home ranges of about 2.5-5 square kilometer, which they move through at the rate of about a kilometer per day as they forage. The okapi finds the minerals its body needs by eating a sulfurous clay found along river banks.. Family group: Solitary, or in temporary small groups. Diet: Leaves, grasses, fruit. Dense, moist jungle near water throiughout the Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Range Map (Redrawn from IEA, 1998) Conservation Status The okapi is not believed to be in danger, although accurate population assessments are difficult in the dense jungle. Remarks The only known living relative of the giraffe, the okapi was first described to western science by P. L. Sclater in 1901.

Henry Stanley first penetrated the dense Ituri Forest of the Congo in 1890, exposing the existence of the okapi in his book "In Darkest Africa". In his writings, he remarked of his surprise when the native Wambutti pygmies didn't marvel at his horses, saying that they sometimes caught a donkey-like animal in their pits, which they called o'api (misinterpreted by Stanley as atti). Rumours of this strange, ass-like animal reached Sir Johnston, which spurred him to make a journey into the Congo in 1899. After winning the confidence of the Wambutti, Johnston was able to learn more about the mysterious atti - including its real name. After hearing its description - a dark brown animal resembling a donkey with striped legs - Johnston was sure that the o'api was a species of forest zebra still awaiting a scientific description. Later that year, in the Belgian Fort at Mbeni, Johnston was able to obtain two headbands, made from the striped pieces of okapi skins, which he sent to the Zoological Society of London in 1900. From these pieces of skin, an announcement of a new species - Equus?

johnstoni - was made. Back in the Congo, Johnston was shown a set of tracks by the natives which they insisted were made by an okapi. However, as the tracks were cloven-hoofed, Johnston dismissed them as they did not fit his notion that the okapi was a member of the horse family. Meanwhile Karl Eriksson, Commandant at Fort Mbeni, was able to secure a complete skin and two skulls, which he sent to Johnston. Armed with these findings, Johnston wrote back to the Zoological Society of London, sending the priceless cargo along. The skulls were the key to the puzzle, allowing scientists to determine that this new species was not a horse, but a forest giraffe. Okapi is a corruption of the native name o'api. Sir Harry H. Johnston (1858-1927), explorer and author, discovered the okapi while in the Colonial Administration of British Central Africa. Literature Cited Grzimek, B. 1990. Okapis. In Grzimek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. Edited by S. P. Parker. New York: McGraw-Hill. Volume 5, pp.

262-265. IEA (Institute of Applied Ecology) 1998. Okapia johnstoni. In African Mammals Databank - A Databank for the Conservation and Management of the African Mammals Vol 1 and 2. Bruxelles: European Commission Directorate. Available online at Nowak, R. M. [editor]. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World (Fifth Edition). Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Shuker, K. 1993. The Lost Ark: new and rediscovered animals of the Twentieth Century. London: HarperCollinsPublishers. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder [editors]. 1993. Mammal Species of the World (Second Edition). Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. Available online at Additional Resources East, R. [compiler]. 1999. African Antelope Database 1998. IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. Hart, J. A. (1992).

Forage selection, forest availability, and use of space by Okapi (Okapia johnstoni) a rainforest giraffe in Zaire. Ongules/Ungulates 91: 217-221 Okapi Facts Okapi Facts Okapi Facts Okapi is the only living relative of the giraffe. This beautiful animal lives in the northern, central and eastern parts of the Congo (Africa). Okapi prefers dense and damp vegetation, so it inhabits rainforests. Okapi was discovered in 1900, with 45 000 animals that lived in the wild at the time. Intensive deforestation during the 20th century and high susceptibility toward fungal, bacterial and viral infections reduced the number of okapis to around 10 000. At the moment they are listed as "near threatened", which means that they could easily become endangered in the near future. Interesting Okapi Facts: Females are larger than males. On average, okapi weighs between 440 and 700 pounds. They can be up to 6.5 feet tall and reach 8.1 feet in length.

Okapi has dark purple or reddish brown velvety fur, with white horizontal stripes on their front and hind legs. Okapi slightly resembles to zebra because of the stripes, but it shares much more similarities with giraffe. It has long skull, large black eyes and very long, purplish tongue, just like giraffe. Okapi's tongue is 18 inches long and it can reach both its eyes and ears. Okapi's tongue is prehensile, which means that is used for stripping the leaves and buds from stems of various plants. Besides leaves, okapi eats fruits, grasses, ferns and twigs. Okapi is mostly active during the afternoon and in the early evening. It often travel 0.5 to 2.5 miles per day while searching for food. Okapi is a ruminant, just like cow. It swallows and regurgitates its food for additional chewing several times. Only male okapis have horns which are covered with skin. Females have bumps on their head instead of horns. Horns are short to prevent tangling with dense vegetation in the rainforest. Okapi has large ear and excellent sense of hearing which is used for detection of potential danger.

Okapi also has excellent sense of smell. Leopard is the only natural enemy of the okapi in the wild. Okapis are solitary and territorial animals. They produce tar-like substance and release urine to mark their territory. Female okapi vocalizes when she is ready for the mating. Males and females spend few weeks together, which is enough for females to become pregnant. Pregnancy lasts between 14 and 16 months and it ends with one calf. Young okapi looks like an adult animal, except it has a fringe of hair along its spine. It disappears at the age of one year. Calf spends first few weeks of its life hidden in dense vegetation. It does not defecate for the first 4 to 8 weeks because it is too weak and it can be easily detected (sniffed out) by predators. Average lifespan of the okapi is between 20 and 30 years.

Related Links: Okapi Fact Sheet Order: Artiodactyla* (nearly 200 species of even-toed, hoofed mammals) Suborder: Ruminantia (cud-chewing cattle, goats, sheep, bison, giraffes and more) Family: Giraffidae (only two species - giraffes and okapis) Genus: Giraffa camelopardalis (giraffe) Genus: Okapi (okapi) Species: Okapia johnstoni *New anatomical and DNA evidence on the relationship between Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates) and Cetacea (whales and dolphins) recently led to a merging of the two orders into a new group, Cetartiodactyla (Montgelard, 1997; reviewed in Kulemzina, 2009). As of October 2012, experts had not agreed on whether to define Cetartiodactyla as an official taxonomic order that would replace Artiodactyla and Cetacea.

Some continue to list okapi in the order Artiodactyla (Franklin, 2011) or use the term Cetartiodactyla without defining it as an order (IUCN, 2008). Atti (from Wambuti pygmy tribe) Okapi derived from the pygmy word O'Api which, when spoken by pygmies, sounds like okapi. Other Scientific Nomenclature: Okapia liebrecht originated when, in the late 1800s, Forsyth Major concluded that a specimen of skin and skulls were a different species. Okapia erikssoni was named in 1903 by Lord Rothschild who found the skin of a female okapi to be different. (note: both observations were false). Okapi were unknown to western world (occupy dense African rainforest habitats) until discovered by Sir Harry Johnston in 1901. Species name is in Johnson's honor. Taxonomy and Phylogeny. Closest living okapi relative is the giraffe.

Some researchers dissent, pointing out that important differences in reproductive organs, fetuses, bile acid salts and skeletal anatomy make the okapi more likely to not belong in the giraffe family at all, but to be a closer relative of the nilgai antelope in the bovid (cattle) family. (Benirschke & Hagey 2006) (Spinage 1968) Colbert (1938) made a detailed skeletal analysis of okapi and concluded that while they differed in many respects from giraffes, that they showed many primitive features of fossils of early giraffe relatives. Giraffe family (giraffes and okapi) dates to about 15-12 million years ago (Miocene) (Dagg & Foster 1982). Some two million years ago (Pleistocene) a now-extict okapi species (Okapia sp.) lived in East Africa in present-day Tanzania. At the same time in the same place, now extinct relatives of the giraffes existed.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT (Hart & Hart 1988) (IUCN Redlist 2008) (Bodmer & Gubista 1988) Endemic to forests of Democratic Republic of Congo, occurring between about 500 m and 1,500 m elevation on both sides of the Congo River. Okapi populations in the Ituri / Aruwimi and adjacent Nepoko basin forests, and the forests of the upper Lindi, Maiko and Tshopo Basins; also well known in the Rubi-Tele region in Bas Uele. (IUCN Redlist 2008) Limited to closed, high canopy forests, occurring in a wide range of primary and older secondary forest types. Okapi don't range into gallery forests or into forest islands on the savanna and they don't stay in the disturbed habitats surrounding human settlements. Will occupy seasonally flooded areas when the ground is still wet, but they do not occur in truly wet sites or extensive swamp forest. Tree fall gaps are selected foraging sites for okapi during the early stages of regeneration (Hart & Hart 1989). Remain solitary much of the time.

10% of total time is spent with other animals. Social grooming common in captives. 2 adults, 1 juvenile, and 1 young may inhabit the same home range. Groups of more than 3 have never been recorded other than in captivity. Calves remain within mother's home range during first 2-6 months after birth. Okapi generally avoid individuals in adjacent home ranges Males and females spend very little time together Territorial Behavior Captive males shown to mark objects (bushes, trees) with urine, while crossing legs in a dance-like movement. Marking occurs most often during courtship. Females mark using common defecation sites. Mark territory by rubbing necks on trees Home ranges: greatest 24 hr movement is 2.5 km most stable shared mainly with other female(s) and young Male largest home range > 10 km 24-hr movement up to 4 km Subadults: 2 km-3 km more restricted movement Generally tranquil and non-aggressive. Males competing for females engage in ritualized neck fighting, head butting, and charging.

(Prothero 2002) Aggressive behaviors include kicking, head-throwing, and slaps using the side or top of head as a blow to flank or rump. Kicking is often symbolic without contact. Dominant animals have an erect head and neck posture while subordinates may have head and neck on the ground. Locomotion (Lindsey et al 1999) (Dagg 1960) Pacing gait at about 16 kilometers/hour (10 mph) - foreleg and hindleg move forward together, followed by legs on other side Gallop gait attains speeds of about 56.3 kilometers/hour (35 mph) with same left side/ right side pattern. Like the giraffe, must splay the legs to reach the ground when drinking Play Includes gambols and capers, the pooky (head low and forward, rapid tail wags) and lie and rise (lie on ground, may roll on side, then stand up)(Bodmer & Rabb 1985) Both sexes and all age classes engage in play behavior. Infants play more frequently than adults.

Communication Displays Dominance displays for both okapi and giraffe involve nose pointing away from the body's midline, which increases the visual impact of neck length. (Simmons and Scheepers 1996) Vocalization (Bodmer & Rabb 1992) Vocal communication more common than in giraffes. Consists of three types of vocal signals- the chuff, moan, and bleat. Chuffs are contact calls for all ages and both sexes. Infants use bleat vocalization for response from mother. Bleats emitted only by young animals < 7 months in stressful situations. Soft moaning sound by males during courtship. Whistles and bellows in acute distress situations. Vocalizations have infrasonic frequency components. Olfactory signals Secretes from glands of feet, leaving scent on low-lying herbage. Territory marked by urine or dung. Prior to mating, males and females sample urine to test for hormones (scientific term is flehmen). Intraspecies Interaction (Spinage 1968) (Bodmer & Rabb 1992) Leopards represent significant cause of death for adult okapi.

Serval cat and golden cats prey on young okapi. African rainforest natives use okapi skins for decorative belts. DIET & FEEDING (Bodmer & Gubista 1988) (Bodmer & Rabb 1992) (Crissey et al 2001) (Hart 1992) (Hart & Hart 1988) Highly selective feeder on leaves, fruits, seeds, ferns, fungi of some 100 plant species. Prefer to browse in small forest openings where fallen trees allow growth of light-dependent plants; prefer fast-growing tree seedlings, shrubs and vines Okapi plants are only a temporary resource, scattered widely across the forests; most plants are not acceptable forage Do not choose shade-tolerant shrubs and select only a small proportion of all the plants available. Like giraffes, okapis use long, prehensile tongue to pull leaves off branches; a slender muzzle and flexible lips also help with choosing the "right" plants. Also ingest clay for its minerals, burnt charcoal, and bat guano found in hollow trees. Digestive system similar to other browsing ruminants.

As in giraffes, gall bladder not present. Daily food intake (dry matter) of captive okapi ranges from 4.3-5.0 kg REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT (Gijzen & Smet 1974) (ISIS Web Site) Captive Breeding Okapis breed readily in captivity, but rearing of calves has been problematic. Until the 1950s, roughly 50% died during the 1st month. Antwerp Zoo was the 1st to exhibit the okapi to visitors (1919); first okapi to survive in captivity also at Antwerp Zoo in 1928; she lived 15 more years. A male okapi named Congo came to the Bronx Zoo in 1937 and lived for 15 years. Common in many large zoos; currently being bred to maintain numbers; difficult to keep because of delicate health Captive okapi population in North American zoos has 25 founders; in Europe there are 23 founders. Baruiti was born at the San Diego Zoological Park in 1962.

POPULATION AND CONSERVATION STATUS (Gijzen & Smet 1974) (Hart and Mwinyihali 2001) (IUCN Redlist 2008) Okapi has become the flagship species for the conservation of the lturi ecosystem in the Congo Basin. In Uganda, Okapi formerly occurred in the Semliki Forest, but is not known to survive there (IUCN Redlist 2008). 1925 Virunga National Park established; Africa's first national park. A 2006 survey by local trackers and by World Wildlife Fund and its Congolese governmental partner ICCN (the Congo Institute for Nature Conservation), and the Gilman Conservation International found okapi signs in Virunga National Park in Eastern Congo after no sightings there since the 1950's. In 2008 camera trap images of okapi obtained for first time; cameras set up in Virunga by Zoological Society of London and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN). 1933: Okapi protection begins officially in Congo/Zaire.

1952: A captive breeding centre for okapi was first established at Epulu in the Ituri Forest, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo or DRC) 1970: Maiko National Park established in DRC; it is not a World Heritage Site, but may have the most biodiversity of all the Congo's parks. 1987: Okapi Conservation Project begun by Gilman International Conservation to help protect native habitat in Ituri Forest of DRC. 1992: The Okapi Wildlife Reserve established Occupies 13,700 square kilometers (5,290 square miles) in DRC Is a Pleistocene refuge of exceptional species richness with a greater variety of mammals than any park in Africa: 15% of species are endemic which is one of the highest rates in the world Until recently preserved only by its inaccessibility; It has the highest known density of okapis known anywhere at approximately 2.5 animals per square kilometer (2.

5 per square mile) 1996: Okapi Wildlife Reserve designated as a United Nation World Heritage Site Within the reserve, some 5,000 okapi are protected This reserve encompasses the cultural center for two tribes of forest pygmy people - the Mubuti and Efe; okapi are not a significant part of their traditional diet, Strengthening protection of this reserve and Maiko National Park is the single most important means to ensure long-term survival of Okapi (IUCN 2008) 1998: Okapi Wildlife Reserve placed on list of World Heritage in Danger because of devastation by civil war, invasion by miners and militants and destruction of wildlife by hunting for bushmeat and ivory. 2008: Report for World Heritage in Danger List: populations of the endemic okapi in Okapi Wildlife Reserve have decreased by 43 %, with a loss of an estimated 2,000 animals ( ) 2009: Population estimates are quite imprecise but may be between 10,000 and 35,000 individuals.

IUCN status: (2009) Near Threatened (version 3.1); population trend stable Threats to Survival Primary threats: Armed conflict/war/civil unrest/displaced human populations (Hart and Mwinyihali 2001) Other Web Resources Okapi Conservation Project - managed by Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), oversees the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Okapi Faunal Reserve (Encyclopedia of Earth) - Ituri forest ecology, excellent bibliography Okapi Wildlife Reserve (UNESCO - World Heritage List) - description of the reserve, documentation of goals, decisions, concerns, achievements to protect okapi and their habitat ©2009 San Diego Zoo Global. Disclaimer: Although San Diego Zoo Global makes every attempt to provide accurate information, some of the facts may become outdated or replaced by new research findings. Questions and comments may be addressed to library@sandiegozoo.org .

Question: What kind of a tongue does the okapi have?
Answer: Prehensile