Okapi animal (lat. Okapia johnstoni)

Traveling in Central Africa, journalist and African explorer Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904) encountered local natives more than once. Having once met an expedition equipped with horses, the natives of the Congo told the famous traveler that they had wild animals in the jungle, 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 identified it to the horse family. But what was their surprise when, a year later, they managed to get a whole skin and two skulls of an unknown animal, and find that It looks more like a pygmy giraffe from the Ice Age. Only in 1909 was it possible to catch a live specimen of Okapi ( Okapia johnstoni).

It was an okapi - a rare artiodactyl animal from the family. Okapis are indeed, at first glance, very similar to horses. But the legs and neck are somewhat elongated. There are bizarre black and white stripes on the hind legs and rump, like a zebra, which makes the animal unusually amazing.

Okapis have a short, velvety, chocolate-colored coat with a reddish sheen. The limbs are white, and the tail reaches 40 cm. At the withers, the okapi is about 160 cm, and the length from head to tail is 2 meters. As usual in nature, females are somewhat larger than males. The white-brown okapi 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 lives, and their capture for zoos is impossible due to their great sensitivity to changing environments, the dream of nature lovers remains elusive. Only 20 nurseries in the world can boast of having such a rare animal.

The temperament of the okapi is very shy. 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 the okapi easily rinses his eyes with it.

Okapi is also called the "forest giraffe". Apparently, due to the availability of provisions in the jungle, the evolutionary okapi did not need a long neck, like the steppe giraffe, which in the steppe has to stretch high for foliage.

Unlike their giraffe cousins, the okapi is solitary. Only in the mating season do they form pairs. Very rarely they can be found in small groups, but why this happens has not yet been investigated.

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Okapi cubs are gestated for 450 days (about 15 months). The kid hides in the thickets of the jungle for a long time, responding only to the voice of his mother. And the voice of the okapi is not loud. Due to the lack of vocal cords, the sounds pronounced by okapi are more like lowing with a slight whistle.

It has not yet been possible to fully study the life and habits of the okapi. Due to the unstable political power in the Congo with constant civil wars, as well as because of the fearfulness and secretiveness of animals, little is known about their life in the wild. Deforestation undoubtedly affects the population. According to the most rough estimates, there are only 10-20 thousand individuals of the okapi. There are 45 of them in zoos around the world.

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Okapi are the only relatives of giraffes, despite the fact that their necks are not long. They look as if they are made up of parts from different animals: legs, like a zebra, with black and white stripes, a head is gray, and a neck, body and round ears are brown. The okapi's tongue is so large that they can even use it to clean their ears. The height of pygmy giraffes at the withers is 150-170 cm, and they weigh about 200 kg.

Okapi live in small areas in the western part of Central Africa, in the humid jungle. They feed mainly on leaves, young branches and various tropical species of spurge plants, and sometimes include berries and herbs in their diet. At the same time, they pinch only the most tender shoots.

Pygmy giraffes are solitary and meet with other individuals only for mating. This can happen at any time of the year. The offspring stay with their mother for several years.

Since the animals are quite large and well protected, they have almost no natural enemies. An okapi can be attacked by a leopard, hyena or crocodile. The main enemy, as always, is a man who cuts down virgin forests, reducing the living space of a small giraffe.

Since these are very shy animals, Europeans noticed them only in the 19th century. The first to report the okapi was the African explorer Henry Stanley, who in 1880 saw a forest giraffe near the Congo River. And only in 1901 they were described in detail and received a scientific name.

Video: okapi.

Zebra, Horse or Neither?

The discovery of the okapi in the 20th century caused a sensation. For the first time, the traveler Stanley G. spoke about these animals. In 1890, he published a report on animals that lived in the forests of the Congo. This information was confirmed 9 years later, when Johnston found confirmation of this information. After that, in 1900, zoologists published a description of a new species of animal, which at first was called the "Johnson's horse."

Okapis belong to the species of artiodactyls. Outwardly, these animals are a bit like zebras, but they have family ties. closer to giraffes. The legs are long and the neck is elongated, but shorter than that of a giraffe. But the blue tongue, which can reach 35 centimeters, is the same as that of giraffes. Males have horns. The dark coat has a brownish-reddish tint. There are horizontal stripes on the legs. At the same time, the hair on the legs of the animal is light, and the stripes are brown and black. It is these stripes that make the okapi look like a zebra.

In general, the length of the body of the animal is approximately two to two and a half meters, excluding the tail, the growth of the animal reaches one and a half meters. The length of the tail can reach half a meter. With such dimensions, the weight of individuals can reach 350 kilograms.

Lifestyle: nutrition and reproduction

Okapi animals have a well-defined territory. The boundaries of the marked territory are guarded by animals. As a rule, males live separately from females with cubs. The main activity of animals falls on the daytime.

They eat, like giraffes, representatives of this genus:

• tree leaves,
• fruits.
• mushrooms.

In the choice of food, okapis are quite picky, but despite this animal can eat poisonous plants and charred trees burnt out by lightning strikes. And in order to compensate for the lack of minerals in the body, the animal feeds on reddish clay near water bodies.

In the spring, you can watch how males arrange battles for females, colliding with their necks. The mating season is that rare period of time when you can see female and male okapi together. It happens that a couple is accompanied by a one-year-old cub, to which the male is not yet hostile.

Pregnancy of female okapi lasts more than a year - approximately 15 months. Childbirth occurs during the rainy season, in the Congo this period begins in August and lasts until October. Childbirth happens in the most remote places. The baby who was born lies for the first few days, hiding among the vegetation. Little okapi can whistle and whistle loudly, and also, like adults, make sounds similar to coughing. The mother finds the cub in the thicket by the voice. At the time of birth, the weight of the cub can reach 30 kilograms.

Feeding babies lasts about six months. It is still not known exactly when the cub becomes independent. After a year, horns begin to erupt in males. From the age of two, animals become sexually mature, and by the age of three, okapi become adults. The life span of animals in natural conditions has not been reliably established.

Habitat

In nature, okapis are found only in tropical forests in the northeast of the Congo. For example, animals can be found:

• in the Salonga nature reserve;
• in the Virunga reserve;
• in the Maiko nature reserve.

Okapi live at an altitude of five hundred to a thousand meters. They choose places where there are a lot of bushes and thickets, as in case of danger they hide among them. Rarely, but also found on open plains, closer to the water.

Males and females have their own feeding areas. These areas may overlap. Also, males calmly let females pass through their possessions.

At the moment, there is no exact data on the number of okapi living in the Congo. Deforestation negatively affects the number of animals. Currently okapis are listed in the Red Book as rare animals.

Life in captivity

For a long time, zoos could not create conditions for the life of okapi. The first time an okapi lived in captivity at the Antwerp Zoo for 50 days happened only in 1919. But already 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 breed okapi in captivity. The first offspring born in captivity died. Only in 1956 in Paris were able to leave the cub.

Okapi is a very picky animal. For example, members of this genus do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature and air humidity. They are also very sensitive to the composition of food.

True, some success has recently been achieved in keeping and breeding okapi in captivity. It is 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 feed is only the usual food. If the animal feels danger, it may die from stress, as the heart cannot withstand a heavy load.

When the animal calms down and gets used to people a little, it is transported to the zoo. At the same time, males and females in the enclosure must be kept separately, as well as monitor the lighting. There should not be more than one brightly lit area in the aviary. If the female gives birth in captivity, then it is imperative to isolate her and the cub. For them must create a dark corner, which would imitate the forest thicket.

Once used to, okapis become friendly to people. They can even take food directly from their hands.

Okapi belongs to the artiodactyl order. 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 is poorly studied. In appearance, it somewhat resembles a zebra, but has no family ties with it. But she has a lot in common with a giraffe, which is why she is part of the giraffe family. To date, the exact population size is unknown. Presumably, from 10 to 20 thousand of these animals live in the wild. Representatives of this species are also kept in 42 zoos around the world.

Appearance

The body shape of the animal is similar to the body of a giraffe. The legs are long, but the neck is much shorter than that of a taller relative. They have a long tongue in common. In length, it reaches almost 35 cm. The animal easily reaches them to the eyes. And it serves to get leaves and buds from trees. And, of course, hygiene. Wash eyelids, clean ears. The okapi does all this with the tongue. This animal is very clean and tidy. The color of the tongue is bluish-gray. The giraffe has exactly the same color.

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. On the muzzle there are both dark and light shades. 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 the 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 in length by 35-42 cm. 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 dense thicket. In it, the baby hides for a couple of weeks, until it gets stronger. After that, he begins to follow his mother everywhere. She is very caring and protects the cub from any danger. At what age the baby begins an independent life is unknown. But life expectancy in captivity is 30 years. As for wildlife, there is no data here.

Behavior and nutrition

Okapi gravitates toward a solitary lifestyle. Males and females mark their territories and jealously protect them from strangers. Males live separately, females with cubs. The animal feeds mainly in the daytime, hiding 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 the montane rainforests. The skin has a water-repellent property, therefore, 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, mushrooms. Some types of plants that the animal eats are poisonous to humans. The diet also includes charred trees that have burned down as a result of a lightning strike. 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 an artiodactyl mammal native to the rainforests located in the northeastern part of the Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. Although the striped markings on the animal resemble those of a zebra, the okapi is most closely related to the giraffe. Okapi and giraffe are the only members 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 40,000 of them. In the same year, the okapi was listed as an endangered species.

Appearance of the okapi

In shape, the body of the okapi resembles the body 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 gets buds and leaves from trees. In addition, the tongue plays an important role in hygiene, with which the okapi cleans its ears and washes its eyes. It is worth noting that these are very neat and clean animals. The tongue of the okapi, like that of the giraffe, is bluish-gray in color.

The coat is velvety dark brown with a reddish sheen. The legs are decorated with light horizontal stripes, thanks to them the okapi look like a zebra from afar. On the muzzle there are light and dark shades.

Males have horns and are covered with skin. The 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 length of the body from head to tail varies between 1.9-2.3 meters. The length of the tail itself is 35-42 centimeters. In height, okapi grow to 1.5-1.8 meters.

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, animals grab a young shoot of a bush and then rip off foliage from it with a sliding motion. But since the neck of the okapi 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 the zoologist De Medina have shown, the okapi is quite picky in the choice of food: out of 13 plant families that form the lower tier of the rainforest, it regularly uses only 30 species. Okapi droppings also contained charcoal and brackish clay containing saltpeter from the banks of forest streams. Apparently, this is how the animal compensates for the lack of mineral feed. Okapis feed during daylight hours.

Okapis are active during the daytime. Adult females have clearly defined areas, while the areas of males overlap and are not clearly defined. Okapi are animals that live alone. Occasionally they can be found in small groups, but for what reasons they form them is still unknown.

reproduction

The okapi has a gestation period of 450 days. The birth of offspring depends on the seasons: childbirth occurs in August-October, during the rainy season. For childbirth, the female retires to the most remote places, and the newborn cub lies hidden in the thicket for several days. The mother finds him by his voice. The voice of an adult okapi resembles a quiet cough. The same sounds are made by the cub, but it can also moo softly like a calf or occasionally whistle softly. The mother is very attached to the baby: there are cases when the female tried to drive even people away from the cub. Of the sense organs, the okapi has the most developed hearing and sense of smell. In captivity, okapi can live up to 30 years.

Eating habits

Okapis feed primarily on leaves, buds, and shoots from over 100 different types of forest plants. Many of which are known to be poisonous to humans. Therefore, there is an opinion that this is why okapis eat coal obtained from burned forest trees. Carbon, in the form of charcoal, is a good antidote. In addition, they eat herbs, fruits, ferns, and mushrooms.

The animal has a long and thin bluish tongue. The okapi does not know how to jump to reach the upper branches on the tree, but thanks to its movable 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 the life of okapi. The first time an okapi lived in captivity at the Antwerp Zoo for 50 days happened only in 1919. But already 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 breed okapi in captivity. The first offspring born in captivity died. Only in 1956 in Paris were able to leave the cub.

Okapi is a very picky animal. For example, representatives of this genus cannot stand sudden changes in temperature and humidity. They are also very sensitive to the composition of food. True, some success has recently been achieved in keeping and breeding okapi in captivity. It is 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 feed is only the usual food. If the animal feels danger, it may die from stress, as the heart cannot withstand a heavy load.

When the animal calms down and gets used to people a little, it is transported to the zoo. At the same time, males and females in the enclosure must be kept separately, as well as monitor the lighting. There should not be more than one brightly lit area in the aviary. If the female gives birth in captivity, then it is imperative to isolate her and the cub. For them, a dark corner should be created that would imitate a thicket. Once used to, okapis become friendly to people. They can even take food directly from their hands.

1. Okapi, or forest giraffe, is a rare animal belonging to the giraffe family. In their natural environment, they live only on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa, so seeing okapi live is not an easy task. In addition, these creatures are very shy and secretive, so you will have to try twice.

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. And there is also a very long tongue: like giraffes related to them, okapi feed on tree leaves and grass; less often - mushrooms and fruits.

3. Forest giraffes are solitary, diurnal; they can be found in pairs only during the mating season. The researchers note that occasionally okapi still form groups, but no explanation has yet been found for this behavior.

4. The duration of pregnancy in a forest giraffe is 440-450 days: as a result, a cub weighing 14-30 kg is born. On average, okapis live 20-30 years.

5. The main problem of the forest giraffe is the constant risk of being in the stomach of the most dangerous enemy - the leopard. The okapi has a well-developed hearing, which allows the animal to react in time to the 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 natives with his horses: the pygmies replied that a similar creature lives in their forests. This is how the first information about the existence of okapi was obtained in 1890.

7. The world does not know much about okapi: as already mentioned, these animals live in the 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 the okapi better.

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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