Okapi

Okapi

The giraffe's next of kin
Type
giant panda

Mammals

Area
Map highlighting Central Africa
Central Africa
Endangered Status

Endangered

facts

size
5 feet tall
An average refrigerator is 5.8 feet tall.
Okapi compared in size to a refrigerator
food
plants
leaves, twigs, fruit
Herbivore
Plant eater
habitat
rainforest
Rainforest habitat leaves

description

Okapi mother and calf

Oh-what?

With its white-and-black striped hindquarters and front legs, an okapi (oh-KOP-ee) looks like it must be related to zebras. But it is actually the only living relative of the giraffe.

Okapi looking backwards with striped rump in view

My hide hides me

Like giraffes, okapis have very large, upright ears, which catch even small sounds, helping them to avoid trouble. So why does the okapi have zebra-like stripes? These markings, which seem very bold to us, give the animal great camouflage when hiding in the partial sunlight that filters through the dense rainforest of the northeastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo where okapis make their home.

Okapi calf sticking its tongue out after nursing

Smell you later!

Okapis mostly travel by themselves, but they still have ways of communicating with others of their kind. A scent gland on each foot leaves behind a sticky, tar-like substance wherever they have walked, marking their territory and leaving their personal "perfume" behind!

Quiz

Okapis are related to:
zebras
giraffes