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Okapi
Adopt online
Our Standard Adoption scheme includes all this for just £50.00:
- A special Adoption Certificate.
- A car sticker.
- Stickers.
- A bookmark.
- A photo of a Okapi.
- One adult day ticket
- Animal fact sheet, so you'll know all about the Okapi.
- Access to the online Adopters Zone.
- Recognition on the adopter board at the Okapi enclosure.
Want to help even more? Choose Premium Adoption below!
We also have a group adoption scheme for just £55 which is perfect for schools & clubs – call us on 01962 777988 to find out more.
About the Okapi
What do I eat?
Okapi are known to eat the leaves of over one hundred plant species. They use their flexible, prehensile tongues to pluck leaves from branches and pull them into their mouths.
Where do I live?
Okapis live in tropical rainforests in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Breeding
Okapis give birth to a single calf after a 14 month gestation period. An okapi calf can be on its feet and suckling within half an hour of being born. Shortly after giving birth, the mother will leave her calf in a hiding place, and only come back to it occasionally in the first two months of its life. Okapi calves double their weight in their first month!
Predators
Leopards are the main predator of okapis. The stripes on okapis’ legs and rump help to break up the outline of their body and camouflage them in the shadows of the rainforest.
Conservation
The main threat facing the okapi is habitat loss, mainly due to settlement and logging. Okapis are protected under Congolese law and a significant number are found in protected areas.
Fast facts
Status Endangered
Size Head-body length 200-210cm; Height 180cm
Weight 180-320kg
Gestation 14 months
Young 1
Life span Up to 33 years
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Did you know?
An okapi’s tongue is about 35cm in length, and is long enough for them to lick their own eyelids and ears.
Okapis have oily fur which makes it waterproof!
Okapis have scent glands on each foot, which leave behind a tar-like substance to show where they have been.
Okapis weren’t discovered by western scientists until 1901.