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. Calves triple their size by the end of their second month but do not reach full adult size until three years of age. By checking the ground, an okapi can tell if another okapi has been there. Your continued support is critical to the wildlife in our care and vital to endangered species worldwide. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources classifies the okapi as endangered. Okapia johnstoni4″. Sir Harry Johnston himself called it a Helladotherium, or a relative of other extinct giraffids. When okapis walk through an area they distribute a sticky substance from a scent gland on each leg. Okapi have a number of threats that include: Booking a visit to Yorkshire Wildlife Park is easy! Unfortunately, they're endangered. This is an endangered species, and their survival rests in our hands. Okapis are very wary, and their highly developed hearing alerts them to run when they hear humans in the distance. The Okapi is found in the dense forest that is spread all across Central Africa, "Okapis have an impressively long prehensile tongue that is also used to clean their ears", "Okapis have a powerful night vision that is facilitated by plenty of rod cells present in their retina", "Both Okapi mother and young avoid defecting as a survival strategy during the first 2 months after birth", Disclaimer, Terms of Use & Privacy Policy. Okapi are shy, solitary and elusive animals. Okapis have large ears which can pick up very low sounds. 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. When cycling the female will be followed by a male. YWP is home to male Nuru and young female Ruby. [25], The okapi is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it occurs north and east of the Congo River. The okapi population is managed in America by the AZA's Species Survival Plan, a breeding program that works to ensure genetic diversity in the captive population of endangered animals, while the EEP (European studbook) and ISB (Global studbook) are managed by Antwerp Zoo,[40] which was the first zoo to have an Okapi on display (in 1919), as well as one of the most successful in breeding them. The okapi’s dark purplish or reddish brown fur is dense and feels like velvet. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Females possess hair whorls, and ossicones are absent. The two genera together with Palaeotragus constitute the tribe Giraffini. These calls are so low, in fact, that we humans cannot hear them at all! San Diego Zoo researchers discovered that okapis have a secret language. It’s the okapi version of students who text message each other in class so that the teacher is unaware that they are “talking.”. The large number of rod cells in the retina facilitate night vision, and an efficient olfactory system is present. The ZSL London Zoo shared the video of their new member on Twitter, which shows the calf roaming in the stables happily. The okapi's typical lifespan is 20–30 years. As such they are confined to the Ituri rainforest. The species is most concentrated in the forests of the Ituri, Aruwimi and Nepoko basins. Although the okapi has striped markings reminiscent of zebras, it is most closely related to the giraffe. Parturition takes 3–4 hours, and the female stands throughout this period, though she may rest during brief intervals. Company Number: 06531168. Okapi are vulnerable to large-scale intensive disturbances such as tree logging and human settlement. Our researchers then recorded our okapis around the clock to find out why they use these low-pitched calls. The okapi has a dark red back. To obtain the minerals they need okapis ingest clay found near rivers in their habitat and charcoal from trees burnt by lightning. The baby will create a nest where it will spend the majority of the next 2 months. Downloaded on 20 May 2020. Mallon, D., Kümpel, N., Quinn, A., Shurter, S., Lukas, J., Hart, J.A., Mapilanga, J., Beyers, R. & Maisels, F. 2015. Juveniles start taking solid food from 3 months, and weaning takes place at 6 months. The tongue is also used to groom their ears and eyes. 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. The majority of their diet is leaves, twigs and shoots. These make the okapi look like a zebra from a distance. It is also common in the Wamba and Epulu areas. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Animals.NET aim to promote interest in nature and animals among children, as well as raise their awareness in conservation and environmental protection. The juveniles are kept in hiding, and nursing takes place infrequently. [25][31], Female okapis become sexually mature at about one-and-a-half years old, while males reach maturity after two years. Why does the okapi have zebra-like stripes? These animals are most active during the day. The large auditory bullae allow a strong sense of hearing. Although the okapi was unknown to the Western world until the 20th century, it may have been depicted since the early fifth century BCE on the façade of the Apadana at Persepolis, a gift from the Ethiopian procession to the Achaemenid kingdom.
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