World Okapi Day

Today is World Okapi Day!

What is an okapi, you may ask yourself? Well, an okapi is an herbivorous mammal native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa. While okapi do have markings similar to that of the zebra, they are actually more closely related to the giraffe. In fact, okapi and giraffe are the only two living examples of the Giraffidae family, having a common ancestor that lived approximately 11.5 million years ago.

Okapi live in canopy forests at altitudes of 1,600-4,900 ft. They primarily are active during the daytime and are generally solitary animals. They're not fans of the concept of making friends. In fact, male okapi have territories that hey allow female okapi to forage on. Male okapi have ossicones, which are these skin-colored structures that almost resembles horns. You ever see those two big bumps on a giraffe's head? Those are ossicones. Female okapi don't have those.

The western world first became truly aware of the okapi in the late 19th century. Explorer Sir Harry Johnston would obtain pieces of the okapi's striped skin, as well as a skull. Explorer Henry Morton Stanley had earlier raised speculation of the okapi's existence thanks to reports of his exploration of the Congo. 

Sadly, okapi are considered endangered species. The main threats to them are human settlement and logging. Illicit mining and hunting have also had an impact on okapi populations. In 1987, the Okapi Conservation Project was created to help protect the species. The project helped create a wildlife preserve in the Ituri Forest. 

And that's the okapi! I hope you learned something cool about this critter! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!