Young okapi are precocial and may nurse after 21 minutes and stand after just 30 minutes, but won’t be fully developed until 3 years of age.
Young okapi spend the first day or two of life following the mother around and exploring the environment. They are precocial and may nurse after 21 minutes and stand after just 30 minutes.
Weaning occurs at about 6 months, although young may continue to suckle for more than a year. Young males begin developing horns at one year of age, and both males and females reach adult size at about three years.
Female okapi reach sexual maturity at 1-2 years and males at 2 years. In captivity, the youngest female to breed was 1 year 7 months old, and the youngest male was 2 years 2 months old.
Sources: (Bodmer & Rabb, 1992; Palkovacs, 2000; San Diego Zoo Global, 2017)
Image: Mark Dumont
