Extraordinary: endangered Okapi born in Safaripark Beekse Bergen

Safaripark Beekse Bergen is celebrating the birth of an okapi. The young okapi is a male and has been named Quinn.

The Okapi is found in the wild in the rain forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The species is threatened with extinction here. Its numbers are dwindling as habitat is disappearing due to rainforest clearing. Also, local people hunt the Okapi for their meat and skin.

Safaripark Beekse Bergen is committed to the conservation of the Okapi in several ways. Within European zoos, there is a management program for this species. In this way, we contribute to a healthy reserve population in European zoos with this young animal. The park also supports the Okapi Conservation Project through Stichting Wildlife.

Forest Giraffe
Okapis belong to the same family as the giraffe and share the long neck and relatively high legs. Like giraffes, the animals have horns and a very long, blue-colored tongue. Because they are found in the wild in dense forests, they are also called forest giraffes.

Okapis can be recognized by their dark red, brown or black fur with white stripes on the buttocks and legs, which are especially reminiscent of a zebra. The stripes are unique in each Okapi, much like a fingerprint in humans. This is how a mother and her young recognize each other in the rainforest. A calf is born after a gestation period of about 14 months. An adult animal is about 2.5 meters tall and weighs between 200 and 350 pounds.

Although mother and son are doing well, the young animal is not yet visible to visitors.

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