Who is it - a horse, a zebra or a giraffe? Its appearance combines all the characteristics of these animals. At first glance, okapi look like horses, but their necks and limbs are longer than those of a normal horse. And the coloring is generally misleading.
Okapi are a rare species of artiodactyl animals from the giraffe family.
They live exclusively in the Congo River Basin (Democratic Republic of Congo). Okapi prefer dense tropical forests in the north or east of this country.
Okapi has a very beautiful and bizarre color: the muzzle is dark white, the legs and rump are painted in black and white stripes, and the body itself has a noble chocolate color, which shimmers in various shades of red in the sun.
Unusual color of okapi 
Legs and rump with black and white stripes, like a zebra's 
The height of the animal at the withers reaches 160 centimeters, and the length from head to tail is 2 meters. Despite their not too large size, they weigh decently, up to 250 kilograms.
Comparison with a giraffe Males are slightly lower than females and have 2 short horns growing on their heads. Females cannot boast of such a “head decoration”.
Male okapi with "head decoration" 
Females without horns Their tongue is blue, just like a chow-chow dog's. In addition, it is so long that the animal can easily reach their eyes. They need a tongue of this length to grab succulent leaves from tree branches. In addition to tree leaves, okapi are very fond of fruits and mushrooms; they can also eat grass or ferns.
Long tongue Okapi are diurnal animals, but they still try not to catch anyone’s eye. They are shy. They prefer to stay alone. Very rarely in nature they can be found in small groups. Only during the mating season do they go in pairs. Sometimes the pair is accompanied by last year's cub.
Okapi pregnancy lasts 450 days!!! They give birth during the rainy season, which lasts from August to October. For childbirth, the female looks for a quiet and remote place. The newborn cub hides in its shelter until it gets stronger. His mother finds him by his voice. First, she gives a kind of mooing signal with a slight whistle, and the baby responds. The female and the cub are very attached to each other.
Okapi belongs to the order Artiodactyls. Forms a separate species that lives in the central tropical regions of Africa. These are the northeastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The animal is very secretive, and therefore it has been poorly studied. In appearance it is somewhat reminiscent of a zebra, but has no kinship with it. But she has a lot in common with the giraffe, which is why she is part of the giraffe family. To date, the exact population size is unknown. Presumably, between 10 and 20 thousand of these animals live in the wild. Representatives of this species are also kept in 42 zoos around the world.
Appearance
The animal's body shape is similar to that of a giraffe. The legs are long, but the neck is much shorter than that of its taller relative. What they have in common is a long tongue. It reaches almost 35 cm in length. The animal can easily reach their eyes. And it serves to get leaves and buds from trees. And of course hygiene. Wash your eyelids, clean your ears. The okapi does all this with its tongue. This animal is very clean and neat. The color of the tongue is bluish-gray. The giraffe has exactly the same color.
The wool is velvety. The color is dark brown with a reddish tint. There are horizontal light stripes on the limbs. Therefore, from afar the animal can be mistaken for a zebra. There are both dark and light shades on the face. Males have skin-covered horns; females do not. The ears are large and the hearing is perfect, so it is very difficult for a predator to catch this representative of the giraffe family. As for size, the body length is 1.9-2.3 meters. This is from the head to the base of the tail. The tail itself grows 35-42 cm in length. The height at the withers is from 1.5 to 1.8 meters. Weight ranges from 200 to 350 kg. Females and males are the same size.
Reproduction and lifespan
Given that the animal is secretive, little is known about its pregnancy. The pregnancy itself lasts about 15 months. The cub appears during the rainy season. The female gives birth in a remote thicket. The baby hides in it for a couple of weeks until he gets stronger. After this, he begins to follow his mother everywhere. She is very caring and protects the cub from any danger. At what age the baby begins independent life is unknown. But life expectancy in captivity is 30 years. As for wildlife, there is no data here.
Behavior and nutrition
Okapi tends to live a solitary lifestyle. Males and females mark their territories and jealously guard them from strangers. Males live separately, females with cubs. The animal feeds mainly during the daytime and hides in the thickets at night. This population lives at an altitude of 500-1000 meters above sea level. In the eastern part of its habitat it rises higher into mountain tropical forests. The skin has a water-repellent property, so during the rainy season this representative of the giraffe family does not get wet, as the water rolls to the ground.
The diet consists of leaves, grass, ferns, fruits, and mushrooms. Some types of plants that the animal eats are poisonous to humans. The diet also includes charred trees burned by lightning strikes. Mineral salts are consumed, as well as brackish reddish clay near streams and rivers. This species is unique, and lives in areas that are constantly shaken by social conflicts. Therefore, in 1992, a special Okapi reserve was created to preserve these animals. About 7 thousand representatives of the species live in it.
Okapi is a separate species belonging to the order Artiodactyla, living in the tropical zone of Africa, namely in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Okapi is a hidden animal, which is why there is not much official information about it. In appearance, okapi are slightly similar to a zebra, but the animals are not related. Okapi is a relative, which is why this species is included in the giraffe family.
There is no data on the exact population size; it is believed that 10-20 thousand individuals live in the wild. In addition, okapi live in 42 zoos around the world.
Appearance of okapi
The shape of the okapi's body resembles that of a giraffe - these animals also have long legs, but the neck is much shorter. A common feature is a long tongue, its length is 35 centimeters, with which the okapi easily reaches the eyes. With the help of this tongue, the animal takes out buds and leaves from trees. In addition, the tongue plays an important role in hygiene; okapi uses it to clean its ears and wash its eyes. It is worth noting that these are very neat and clean animals. The okapi's tongue, like that of the giraffe, is bluish-gray.
Okapi is a herbivore. The coat is velvety dark brown with a reddish tint. The legs are decorated with light horizontal stripes, thanks to which okapi resemble from afar. There are light and dark shades on the face.
Males have horns and are covered with skin. Females do not have horns. The ears are large, and the animal has perfect hearing, so it is difficult for a predator to catch it.
The body length from head to tail varies between 1.9-2.3 meters. The length of the tail itself is 35-42 centimeters. Okapi grow up to 1.5-1.8 meters in height.
Representatives of this species weigh from 200 to 350 kilograms, while males and females have the same size.
Okapi behavior and nutrition
Okapi prefer a solitary life. Males and females mark the boundaries of their territory and carefully guard their allotments. Males live alone, and females live with their cubs. Animals are active during the day, and at night they hide in the thickets.
Okapi live at an altitude of 500-1000 meters, and in the eastern zone they rise even higher - into mountain tropical forests. Okapi's fur is able to repel water, thanks to this the animal does not get wet during the rainy season, the water simply rolls off to the ground.
Okapi feed on grass, leaves, fruits, ferns and mushrooms. Animals can also eat poisonous plants. In addition, okapi eat charred trees that have been burned by lightning. Representatives of the species eat brackish red clay near rivers and streams, which contains mineral salts.
Reproduction and lifespan
Because okapi are very cautious and secretive, little is known about how pregnancy occurs in females. The gestation period is 15 months. The female gives birth to a baby in the wilderness; this happens during the rainy season. The baby hides in the vegetation for a couple of weeks until it grows up.
Then he begins to follow his mother everywhere. The female takes great care of the newborn, protecting it from any danger. When the offspring begins to lead an independent life is unclear. In captivity, these animals live for about 30 years; it is unknown how long okapi live in the wild.
The okapi is an artiodactyl mammal native to the rainforests located in the northeastern part of the Republic of Congo in Central Africa. Although the animal's striped markings are reminiscent of a zebra, the okapi is most closely related to the giraffe. Okapi and giraffe are the only representatives of the Giraffidae family.
In 2013, it was estimated that there are 10,000 okapi living in the wild. By comparison, in 2012 there were 40 thousand. That same year, the okapi was listed as a critically endangered species.
Appearance of okapi
The shape of the okapi's body resembles that of a giraffe - these animals also have long legs, but the neck is much shorter. A common feature is a long tongue, its length is 35 centimeters, with which the okapi easily reaches the eyes. With the help of this tongue, the animal takes out buds and leaves from trees. In addition, the tongue plays an important role in hygiene; okapi uses it to clean its ears and wash its eyes. It is worth noting that these are very neat and clean animals. The okapi's tongue, like that of the giraffe, is bluish-gray.
The coat is velvety dark brown with a reddish tint. The legs are decorated with light horizontal stripes, thanks to which okapi resemble zebras from afar. There are light and dark shades on the face.
Males have horns and are covered with skin. Females do not have horns. The ears are large, and the animal has perfect hearing, so it is difficult for a predator to catch it.
The body length from head to tail varies between 1.9-2.3 meters. The length of the tail itself is 35-42 centimeters. Okapi grow up to 1.5-1.8 meters in height.
Representatives of this species weigh from 200 to 350 kilograms, while males and females have the same size.
Lifestyle
Like related giraffes, okapi feed primarily on tree leaves: with their long and flexible tongue, the animals grab a young shoot of a bush and then tear off the foliage from it with a sliding movement. But since the okapi’s neck is shorter than that of a giraffe, this animal prefers to eat only that vegetation that grows closer to the ground. In addition, okapi eat grasses, ferns, mushrooms and fruits. As studies by zoologist De Medina have shown, okapi is quite picky when choosing food: of the 13 plant families that form the lower layer of the tropical forest, it regularly uses only 30 species. Charcoal and brackish clay containing saltpeter from the banks of forest streams were also found in okapi droppings. Apparently, this is how the animal compensates for the lack of mineral feed. Okapi feed during daylight hours.
Okapi are active during the day. Adult females have clearly defined areas, while the areas of males overlap and are not clearly defined. Okapi are solitary animals. Occasionally they can be found in small groups, but for what reasons they form them is still unknown.
Reproduction
The gestation period of an okapi is 450 days. The birth of offspring depends on the seasons: births occur in August-October, during the rainy season. To give birth, the female retires to the most remote places, and the newborn calf lies hidden in the thicket for several days. His mother finds him by his voice. The voice of adult okapi resembles a quiet cough. The cub also makes the same sounds, but it can also moo quietly like a calf or occasionally whistle quietly. The mother is very attached to the baby: there are cases when the female tried to drive even people away from the baby. Of the okapi's sense organs, hearing and smell are the most developed. In captivity, okapi can live up to 30 years.
Eating habits
Okapi feed primarily on the leaves, buds, and shoots of more than 100 different species of forest plants. Many of which are known to be poisonous to humans. Therefore, it is believed that this is why okapi eat charcoal obtained from burned forest trees. Carbon, in the form of charcoal, is a good antidote. They also eat grasses, fruits, ferns and mushrooms.
The animal has a long and thin tongue of a bluish color. Okapi does not know how to jump to reach the top branches of a tree, but thanks to its mobile neck and long tongue, the animal reaches branches at a height of up to 3 m.
Life in captivity
For a long time, zoos could not create conditions for okapi to live. The first time an okapi lived in captivity at the Antwerp Zoo for 50 days happened only in 1919. But from 1928 to 1943, a female okapi lived in this zoo. She died of starvation during World War II. They also did not immediately learn how to reproduce okapi in captivity. The first offspring born in captivity died. Only in 1956 were they able to hatch cubs in Paris.
Okapi is a very fastidious animal. For example, representatives of this genus cannot tolerate sudden changes in temperature and air humidity. They are also very sensitive to the composition of food. True, recently certain successes have been achieved in keeping and breeding okapi in captivity. It was noted that young individuals adapt to the conditions of the enclosure faster. At first, they try not to disturb the animal. The composition of the food consists only of familiar food. If the animal senses danger, it may die from stress, since the heart cannot withstand the heavy load.
When the animal calms down and gets used to people a little, it is transported to the zoo. In this case, males and females must be kept separately in the enclosure, and the lighting must be monitored. There should not be more than one brightly lit area in the enclosure. If a female gives birth in captivity, then it is necessary to isolate her and the cub. They should create a dark corner that would imitate a forest thicket. Once accustomed, okapi become friendly to people. They can even take food directly from your hands.
1. Okapi, or forest giraffe, is a rare animal belonging to the giraffe family. In their natural environment, they live only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa, so seeing okapi in person is not an easy task. In addition, these creatures are very shy and secretive, so you will have to try doubly hard.
2. Okapi have impressive dimensions: the body length of an adult is about 2 m, weight is about 250 kg, tail length is up to 40 cm. They also have a very long tongue: like their related giraffes, okapi feed on tree leaves and grass; less often - mushrooms and fruits.
3. Forest giraffes are solitary and diurnal; they can be found in pairs only during the mating season. Researchers note that occasionally okapi do form groups, but no explanation has yet been found for this behavior.
4. The duration of pregnancy for a forest giraffe is 440−450 days: as a result, a calf weighing 14−30 kg is born. On average, okapi live 20-30 years.
5. The main problem of the forest giraffe is the constant risk of ending up in the stomach of its most dangerous enemy - the leopard. Okapi has well-developed hearing, this allows the animal to react in time to approaching danger.
6. Okapi are very similar to horses, in addition, they have a color similar to zebras. That is why the traveler Henry Stanley could not surprise the aborigines with his horses: the pygmies responded that a similar creature lived in their forests. This is how the first information about the existence of okapi was obtained in 1890.
7. The world doesn’t know much about okapi: as already mentioned, these animals live in a country where things are going very badly. In addition, forest giraffes lead a predominantly solitary lifestyle and try to avoid prying eyes. But who knows, perhaps in the future researchers will be able to get to know okapi better.
Video
Sources
- http://www.proxvost.info/animals/africa/okapi.php https://animalreader.ru/okapi-polosatyiy-zhiraf.html https://wiki2.org/ru/%D0%9E%D0%BA %D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B8
Traveling through Central Africa, journalist and African explorer Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904) more than once encountered local aborigines. Having once met an expedition equipped with horses, the natives of the Congo told the famous traveler that in their jungle there were wild animals very similar to his horses. The Englishman, who had seen a lot, was somewhat puzzled by this fact.
flickr/Roland & Sonja
After some negotiations in 1900, the British were finally able to purchase parts of the skin of the mysterious beast from the local population and send them to the Royal Zoological Society in London, where the unknown animal was given the name "Johnston's Horse" ( Equus johnstoni), that is, they assigned it to the equine family. But imagine their surprise when a year later they managed to get a whole skin and two skulls of an unknown animal, and discovered that It looked more like a dwarf giraffe from the Ice Age. Only in 1909 was it possible to catch a living specimen of Okapi ( Okapia johnstoni).
It was an okapi - a rare artiodactyl animal from the family. Okapi are indeed, at first glance, very similar to horses. But the legs and neck are somewhat elongated. On the hind legs and rump there are bizarre black and white stripes, like a zebra, which makes the animal unusually amazing.
Okapi have short, velvety, chocolate-colored fur with a reddish tint. The limbs are white, and the tail reaches 40 cm. At the withers, okapi is about 160 cm, and the length from head to tail is 2 meters. As is usual in nature, females are slightly larger than males. The okapi's white and brown head with large ears is full of charm. The narrow muzzle and large black moist eyes evoke tender feelings for the animal.
Many naturalists dream of seeing okapi. Since the Congo is the only place on Earth where okapi live, and their capture for zoos is impossible due to their great sensitivity to changes in environment, the dream of nature lovers remains unattainable. Only 20 nurseries in the world can boast of having such a rare animal.
The okapi has a very timid temperament. Although they lead a diurnal lifestyle, they still try to wander deeper into the jungle. Like giraffes, okapi feed on tree leaves. The diet also contains various herbs, mushrooms, ferns and fruits. The okapi's tongue is very long and dexterous. It is so long that okapi can easily wash his eyes with it.
Okapi is also called the “forest giraffe”. Apparently, due to the availability of food in the jungle, okapi did not evolutionarily need a long neck, like the steppe giraffe, which in the steppe has to reach high for foliage.
Unlike their giraffe relatives, okapi are solitary. Only during the mating season do they form pairs. Very rarely they can be found in small groups, but the reason for this has not yet been studied.
flickr/whiskeyboytx
Okapi cubs are gestated for 450 days (about 15 months). The baby hides in the jungle for a long time, responding only to his mother’s voice. And the okapi’s voice is quiet. Due to the lack of vocal cords, the sounds pronounced by okapi are more like mooing with a slight whistle.
It is not yet possible to fully study the life and habits of okapi. Due to the unsettled political power in the Congo, with constant civil wars, and the fearful and secretive nature of the animals, little is known about their lives in the wild. Deforestation undoubtedly affects population numbers. According to the most rough estimates, there are only 10-20 thousand okapi individuals. There are 45 of them in zoos around the world.
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