Welcome to our okapi diary where you will find exclusive videos and behind the scenes updates on our latest important arrival.
After waiting over a year, Zukisa delighted the okapi keepers and everyone at Marwell, as she finally gave birth to a healthy female calf. Born on Monday 2nd June 2008, she has been called Hazina, which means valuable treasure in Swahili, (the language spoken in their native home range in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ‘DMC’).
Although closely resembling a zebra, okapi are in fact a close relative of the giraffe. They are an elusive species which live in the tropical rainforest in the Congo . They are browsers and love to hide among the trees and the rainforest provides perfect camouflage.
No-one knows for sure how many are left in the wild. Despite official protection, okapi are still hunted and combined with increased deforestation (to provide agricultural areas to feed an increasing human population) of their natural habitat, their future is uncertain.
Read on for more details about Hazina …
See our latest videos of the okapi at Marwell below and be sure to log on regularly to watch Hazina’s progress.
June / july
Watch the birth of our latest arrival below:
Watch Hazinas first steps below:
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