An okapi is a rare giraffe-like animal native to the rainforests of Central Africa. Okapi and giraffes share similar facial features, such as long prehensile tongues for grooming and pulling leaves, and males of both species have small skin-covered horns. But okapi necks are not as elongated as giraffe necks and okapi are shorter than giraffes, reaching about five feet or one and a half meters tall. The legs of an okapi resemble those of a zebra, and their bodies are darkly colored and similar to that of an antelope.
Okapi are herbivores; their primary diet includes leaves, fruit, and berries. Okapi are nocturnal and mainly solitary in nature. They have excellent hearing, and can move very quickly. The okapi's unusual appearance helps it to blend in with its native jungle environment and elude predators. These qualities also helped the okapi to elude zoologists; although okapi had long been hunted by people in Africa, they were unknown to scientists until the early twentieth century.
Okapi predators include leopards and hunters. Today okapi are threatened by poaching and by population increases that have led to a reduction in the size of their natural habitat.
Bronx Zoo: Congo Gorilla Forest
The Congo Gorilla Forest is a 6.5 acre African rain forest habitat at the Bronx Zoo. This website presents a virtual tour, games, conservation information, and this okapi fact sheet.
UNESCO: Okapi Wildlife Reserve
This website, presented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, describes the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Ituri Rainforest. Okapi are not endangered, but the wildlife reserve has been threatened due to armed conflict and gold mining in the region.
American Museum of Natural History: The Elusive Okapi
The American Museum of Natural History presents this article by Gordy Slack as a part of the American Museum Conge Expedition 1909-1915 exhibit. This article recounts the history of the scientific discovery of okapi at the beginning of the twentieth century.
ThinkQuest: Amazing Animals: Okapi
This webpage, presented by Thinkquest, includes information about okapi including their size, eating habits and habitat.
This website has a short description of the okapi and includes a printable coloring sheet.