All information about the okapi

What does an okapi look like?

An okapi has chestnut to chocolate brown fur with white stripes on its buttocks and legs. These stripes resemble those of a zebra. It looks a bit like a cross between a zebra and a giraffe! Yet the okapi is not related to the zebra, but to the giraffe and is also called "forest giraffe. The stripes are unique in each okapi and can be compared to the fingerprint in humans. The okapi is about 2.5 meters tall and weighs between 200 and 350 pounds.

An okapi, like the giraffe, has a long tongue. The blue tongue is as much as 35 centimeters long. This is very useful while picking buds and leaves from trees. His tongue is even long enough that he can lick his ears clean with his tongue. Also, the okapi has very large ears. This is very handy in the dense rainforest. Because of the dense vegetation, the okapi cannot see well into the distance, but because of such large ears the okapi can hear very well if danger is coming and to keep an eye on her young, for example.

In the Ranger Request below, ranger Robert tells you all about the okapi, what do they eat and how big can they get?

Okapi or forest giraffe?

The okapi is also called "forest giraffe. This is because it is closely related to the giraffe and lives in the dense rainforest. If you also look closely at the okapi, it also looks a bit like a giraffe. It has a fairly long neck and stands high on its legs. The okapi is a bit smaller than the giraffe, though!

The discovery of the okapi

The okapi was discovered very late. They were only first seen by humans in 1900!

Where does the okapi live?

The okapi is found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was described by researchers around 1900. He is mostly found in the dense rainforest. They were not discovered for a long time, because an okapi can hide very well in the dense rainforest. They have very good hearing, which allows them to hear people approaching from afar.

Okapis live solitary and thus do not live in groups. Each okapi has its own territory. They only seek contact with each other when they want to mate. Males leave their scent by urinating and have a rather large territory. Despite living solitary, they do accept each other when they encounter each other. Sometimes it also happens that they are eating in small groups.

At the Safari Park, you can find the okapi along the walking safari!

Enemies of the okapi

The biggest enemy of the okapi is the leopard. These leopards, also called panthers, live in the same area as the okapi. In addition, humans are also a major enemy of the okapi.

What does an okapi eat?

Okapis eat leaves from as many as a hundred different types of plants! Many of these plant species are known to be toxic to humans. To get enough minerals and salt, okapis eat clay which lies along the banks of the river.

Okapi reproduction

The female can have young throughout the year. The female is pregnant for about fifteen months. One young is born. When the cub is born, it weighs about between fifteen and 35 pounds.

An okapi cub

A newborn okapi, also called a calf, can stand after only thirty minutes. For the first two days, a cub walks behind its mother. Then the mother makes a nest in a safe place among the bushes. Here the calf stays hidden for about two months. At this stage, it consumes very little energy and drinks very little from its mother. As a result, the young okapi hardly needs to defecate. When he has to defecate, he leaves the hide for a very short time. If he were to defecate in the nest, predators could smell him.

In June 2020, an okapi was born in Safaripark Beekse Bergen! In the video below, you can see how Ranger Ilse goes to take a look at the newborn okapi Guus.

Is the okapi an endangered species?

The okapi is an endangered species. Due to the clearing of the rainforest, more and more okapi habitat is disappearing. In addition, local people are hunting the okapi for their meat and skin. As a result, the number of okapis worldwide is decreasing.

The role of zoos is to preserve and protect of endangered species. European parks work closely with each other to achieve this goal and do so with an management program (EEP). The okapi is also part of this. This is how a healthy reserve population is maintained. Find out more about species conservation and our role here.

Conservation

Not only okapis, but many of the animal species you see in our park are endangered and struggling in their original habitats. Did you know that worldwide more than 4,000 animal species threatened with extinction are endangered? Together we can help them, with big, or small steps. Want to know how? Then click here.

Wildlife Foundation

Safaripark Beekse Bergen contributes to the conservation of the okapi. Through Stichting Wildlife, the Okapi Conservation Project is supported. This foundation ensures protection of the reserve where the okapis live and sustainable agriculture, allowing the wildlife to live together with people. Want to know more about the Wildlife Foundation? Then click here

What kind of sound does an okapi make?

Okapis make different sounds. They cough, bark, whistle and make a sound so low that we cannot hear it with our ears. Most of the sounds serve as communication between the mother and her young.

How does an okapi sleep?

An okapi sleeps in the same way as a giraffe. It lies on the ground with its legs bent and turns its head toward its back. When an okapi sleeps, it is very vulnerable to predators. An okapi does not need much sleep, but does like to nap. By napping ever so slightly, the okapi is always wary of predators!