Admin Table of Contents
Who discovered the okapi?
Sir Harry Johnston
The okapi was first discovered by the western world by ZSL fellow, Sir Harry Johnston, in 1901 but what else do we know about this extraordinary and shy creature? The only place in the world that you can find a wild okapi is in the dense tropical rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Is the okapi an endangered animal?
Endangered (Population decreasing)
Okapi/Conservation status
Do a male okapi have horns?
Male okapi have furry horns on their heads called ossicones, a bit like the giraffe’s horns, though these are found on both male and female giraffe.
Can you eat okapi?
Okapi are hunted for meat and skins, and a major threat to this species is habitat loss due to logging and human settlement. Illegal armed groups in some protected areas have prevented effective conservation action.
Is the okapi a prey or a predator?
The leopard is the main natural predator of the okapi. Okapis are herbivores, feeding on tree leaves and buds, grasses, ferns, fruits, and fungi.
What animals are in the okapi?
The okapi is a shy, solitary, elusive animal that lives among dense cover and browses on leaves, fungi, and fruit. It uses its long tongue to strip leaves from branches and supplements its diet with clay, burned wood, and bat guano. Okapis are preyed upon by leopards (Panthera pardus).
Is the okapi an endangered species?
The okapi is endangered due to illegal hunting and the destruction of its habitat, explains Animal Diversity. It was also endangered by the civil war in the Congo, where it lives as a native to the Ituri Rainforest .
Do okapi have tails?
Okapis have large ears which can pick up very low sounds. They have a long dark-bluish tongue. This is prehensile meaning it can be to pick buds and leaves off trees. It is also used to. Normally the okapi will stand 1.5-2m (4.9-6.5ft) high. From head to tail the okapi measures 1.9 to 2.5m (6.2 to 8.2ft).