July 2018: Okapi

	Scientific Name	Okapia johnstoni
	Alternate Name	Atti, Bull (Male), Calf (Young), Congolese Giraffe, Dwarf Giraffe, Forest Giraffe, Makapi, O’Api, Zebra Giraffe
	Collective Name	Corps, Herd, Journey, Totter, Tower

Africa

Forest

	1.5-1.7 m.	4.6-5.6 ft.		180-356 kg.	397-785 lb.
	2-2.5 m.	6.6-8.2 ft.		15-30 yr.	8 yr. (Generation)

			Endangered		Solitary		Diurnal
			Decreasing				Herbivore
Fore	Hind

The okapi (Okapia johnstoni,) is the closest living relative to the giraffe and shares many similarities with the long-necked animal, including a long, violet-black tongue and an elongated neck that help it reach the foliage from trees and shrubs. Nicknamed the “forest giraffe,” this unusual ungulate is endemic to the central forests of Africa and are shy, elusive creatures that prefer to hide away in solitary in the jungle’s dense vegetation. Because of their reclusive lifestyle, much of what is known about okapis has been observed in zoos. Listed as “Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, okapi face threats from habitat disturbance and hunting.

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REFERENCES

• Benirschke, K. & Hagey, L. R. (2006). Should the okapi be listed as a giraffid species? Zoologische Garten, 76, 197-198.
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• San Diego Zoo Global. Okapi (Okapia johnstoni) Fact Sheet. (2017). San Diego (CA): San Diego Zoo Global.
• Simmons, R. E. & Scheepers, L. (1999, November). Winning by a neck: Sexual selection in the evolution of giraffe. American Naturalist, 148(5), 771-786.
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• Troxell-Smith, S. M., Watters, J. V., Whelan, C. J., & Brown, J. S. (2017). Zoo foraging ecology: Preference and welfare assessment of two okapi (Okapia johnstoni) at the Brookfield Zoo. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 4(2), 187–199.