Is it a horse? Is it a zebra? Is it a giraffe? Get the answers — and more — about the elusive okapi in celebration of WORLD OKAPI DAY.
World Animal Day is World Animal Month at VAKOVAKO. And we’re continuing the celebrations by getting to know a very enigmatic, very elusive, and very ENDANGERED creature — the okapi. Get all your need-to-know facts about these forest-dwellers below!
Horse? Zebra? Try Giraffe!
- Only one home — Okapi inhabit the Ituri Rainforest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the only place in the world these mammals are able to found in the wild. Okapi once roamed in the dense rainforests of Uganda, but these populations are now extinct.
- Hidden from the world — The dense rainforests they inhabit allow okapis to easily blend in to their surroundings. Even their stripes are an illusion — against the flora, they mimic sunlight coming through the trees. Their oily fur allows them to stay dry in the rain.
- All in the family — They may look a little different, but okapi are actually the only living relative of the giraffe. Look closer and you’ll notice the similarities: upright ears, prehensile tongue, fur-covered ossicles (horns), and a four-chambered stomach.
- Animal lover? Not quite — Okapi are solitary creatures and don’t seek out companionship unlike their other giraffe relatives. They prefer to live alone in secluded areas and only come together when it’s time to mate.
- Ever tried to touch your nose with your tongue? — Well, okapi can do that and more. Because of their incredibly long tongue, they are actually able to lick their ears — one of the few mammals to do so.
- A secret communication — Okapis (which have independently moving ears) are able to communicate using infrasound, which means they can pick up sounds too low for a human to hear. This subsonic communication is also utilized by other well-known mammals, including elephants and rhinos, and is especially helpful for okapi mothers to call out to their hiding calves.
- That’s one smart baby — While okapi mothers work hard to provide their calves protection, okapi newborns (which can stand immediately after birth) have a slick-trick up their sleeve: they stay hidden by “nesting” for the first two-months of their lives and can spend that entire time without defecating once.
Okapi — A Species on the Brink
Okapi are thought to be one of the oldest mammals on the planet — but only until the early 20th century did we know they existed at all. But in just three generations, their populations have declined by half. Because of their elusiveness, it is difficult to know exactly how many okapi exist in the wild. Some estimates indicate there may be as few as 10,000, with this number decreasing rapidly. Their biggest threat? Humans — deforestation, mining and poaching have all contributed to their declines.
Luckily, there are conservation efforts underway to protect okapi and their habitat — some of which have shown signs of promise.
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ENDANGERED or not — every animal matters. Donate on WORLD OKAPI DAY with #VAKOVAKO.
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Don’t miss it: International Snow Leopard Day is coming up — celebrate with us on October 23!
