Okapi

Okapis consume leaves, shoots, grass, fungi, seeds, and fruit. They are known to eat over one hundred species of plants. Each day, they consume one to two percent of their body weight.

At the Zoo, okapi are offered hay, grain, browse, and some produce in a variety of enriching ways.

Okapi are only found in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Since 1980, much of the okapi range has been destroyed, especially in the southern and eastern parts of the Ituri Forest, where these animals used to be very common.

They live in dense, damp forests but avoid swamps and soft ground. They typically follow well-worn paths, but their large size allows them to create new routes through dense vegetation.

The main predators of okapis are leopards and humans.

Okapis face habitat loss due to mining for diamonds and a mineral used in electronics called coltan, illegal logging, slash-and-burn farming, collecting wood and charcoal. The species is also hunted for their meat and skins. Okapis have very sensitive hearing, so loud noises and activities in their environment can be very disturbing. They live in unstable region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where there is ongoing human conflict, including different militia groups. This situation puts the okapi at risk of direct violence and makes conservation efforts more difficult.

Okapis are unique animals with a velvety, chestnut brown coat. They have striking black and white stripes on their upper legs and back, as well as white bands on their lower legs. These stripes help them blend in with their surroundings and may also guide young okapis through the thick forest. Their oily coat keeps them dry in the humid environment.

Their purplish-black tongue is around fourteen inches long and muscular. They use this tongue to strip leaves off branches, and their flexible lips help them grab plants to eat. Although they have large eyes, their eyesight is not very good. Instead, they rely on their large ears to hear sounds around them in the dense forest.

Okapis also have long necks that help them reach for branches, but not so long that they get in the way when moving through the forest. Male okapis have horn-like growths on their foreheads, covered by skin, which are called "ossicones."

Breeding takes place throughout the year. Males enter a female's home range, calling out and using scent to attract her. After mating, they both return to a solitary lifestyle. A single offspring is born after a gestation period, or the time when a baby is carried by its mom, of 14 to 15 months. When the calf is born, it weighs between 30 and 40 pounds. It will have the same coloring as an adult, but its proportions will be different. They have small heads, short necks, and thick legs.

In the first eight to twelve weeks, newborns remain hidden in the undergrowth while their mother returns to groom and feed them. Calves grow quickly and can double their weight in just two months. By about three weeks old, the calves start eating solid food. They usually stop nursing around six months, but some may continue to suckle for almost a year.

Males are ready to mate when they are about two years old, while females mature a bit later, between two and three years.

Okapis communicate using sounds that are too low for humans to hear, known as infrasonic sounds. They also make different sounds that we can hear, like chuffing, bleating, and moaning. In addition to sounds, okapis use their sense of smell to communicate. They have special glands on their feet that release scents and use feces and urine to mark their territory.

Okapis are typically solitary animals, except for mothers who are have calves. Both male and female okapis have territories, but males have significantly larger ranges that often overlap with those of several females.

Okapis are diurnal, meaning they are active both during the day and at night. They spend about 30 to 50 percent of their day resting, and they eat most before and after the hottest parts of the day.