Okapi animal (lat. Okapia johnstoni). Okapi animal or pygmy forest giraffe: description, photo, video about okapi life Animals of Africa okapi

Forest giraffe OKAPI November 13th, 2013

OKAPI (Okapia johnstoni)- artiodactyl animal of the giraffe family. Endemic to Zaire. Inhabits tropical rainforests, where it feeds on shoots and leaves of milkweeds, as well as the fruits of various plants.

This is a rather large animal: body length is about 2 m, height at the shoulders is 1.5-1.72 m, weight is about 250 kg. Unlike the giraffe, the okapi has a moderately long neck. Long ears, large expressive eyes and a tail ending in a tassel complete the appearance of this largely mysterious animal. The coloration is very peculiar: the body is reddish-brown, the legs are white with dark transverse stripes on the thighs and shoulders. Males have a pair of small, skin-covered horns with horn "tips" on their heads, which are replaced annually. The tongue is long and thin, bluish in color.

We take a giraffe, add a zebra to it and get OKAPI.

The story of the discovery of the okapi is one of the biggest zoological sensations of the 20th century. The first information about an unknown animal was received in 1890 by the famous traveler G. Stanley, who managed to get to the virgin forests of the Congo basin. In his report, Stanley said that the pygmies who saw his horses were not surprised (contrary to expectations!) And explained that similar animals are found in their forests. A few years later, the then governor of Uganda, the Englishman Johnston, decided to check Stanley's words: information about unknown "forest horses" seemed ridiculous. However, during the 1899 expedition, Johnston managed to find confirmation of Stanley's words: first, the pygmies, and then the white missionary Lloyd, described to Johnston the appearance of the "forest horse" and reported its local name - okapi.

And then Johnston was even more lucky: in Fort Beni, the Belgians gave him two pieces of okapi skin! They were sent to London to the Royal Zoological Society. Examination of them showed that the skin did not belong to any of the known species of zebras, and in December 1900, the zoologist Sclater published a description of a new species of animal, giving it the name "Johnston's horse."

Only in June 1901, when a full skin and two skulls were sent to London, it turned out that they did not belong to a horse, but were close to the bones of long-extinct animals. It was, therefore, a completely new species. Thus, the modern name okapi was legitimized - a name that had been used by the Pygmies from the Ituri forests for thousands of years. However, okapi remained almost inaccessible. For a long time, requests from zoos were also unsuccessful.

It was not until 1919 that the Antwerp Zoo received the first young okapi, who lived in Europe for only 50 days. Several more attempts ended in failure. However, in 1928, a female okapi named Tele arrived at the Antwerp Zoo. She lived until 1943 and died of starvation already during the Second World War. And in 1954, the first okapi cub was born in the same Antwerp zoo, which, unfortunately, soon died. The first fully successful breeding of the okapi was achieved in 1956 in Paris.

Currently, in Epulu (Republic of the Congo, Kinshasa) there is a special station for catching live okapis. According to some reports, okapi are kept in 18 zoos in the world and successfully breed.

We still know little about the life of the okapi in the wild. Few Europeans saw this animal in general in a natural setting. The distribution of okapi is limited to a relatively small area in the Congo Basin, occupied by dense and inaccessible tropical forests. However, even within this forest area, okapi are found only in slightly lightened places near rivers and glades, where green vegetation from the upper tier descends to the ground.

Under the continuous canopy of the forest, okapi cannot live - they simply have nothing to eat. The food of the okapi is mainly leaves: with their long and flexible tongue, the animals capture the young shoot of the bush and then rip off the foliage from it with a sliding motion. Only occasionally do they graze on lawns with grass. As studies by 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.

Okapi are solitary animals. Only during mating, the female joins the male for several days. Sometimes such a pair is accompanied by last year's cub, to which the adult male does not experience hostile feelings. Pregnancy lasts about 440 days, 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 adult okapi resembles a quiet cough due to the lack of vocal cords. 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.

Okapis live in the tropical forests of Africa in the Congo Basin (Zaire). These are small, very timid animals, similar in color to a zebra, from the giraffe family. Okapi usually graze alone, silently making their way through the forest thickets. Okapis are so sensitive that even pygmies cannot sneak up on them. They lure these animals into traps.

With its forty-centimeter tongue, the okapi can do amazing things, such as licking behind its black ears with a red border. Inside the mouth on both sides it has pockets in which it can store food.

Okapis are very neat animals. They like to take care of their skin for a long time.

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.

Both males and females have their own foraging areas, but they are not territorial animals, their holdings overlap, and sometimes okapi may graze together in small groups for a short period of time. Okapis are also known to communicate with each other using low "puffing" sounds and rely on hearing in the surrounding forest where they are unable to see very far.

They feed mainly on leaves, herbs, fruits, and fungi, some of which are known to be poisonous. It has been suggested that this is why, in addition, okapis also eat charcoal from burnt trees, which is an excellent antidote after ingesting toxins. Along with consuming a huge variety of plant material, okapi also eat clay, which provides their body with essential salts and minerals in its plant-based diet.

The animal has a very unusual appearance: velvety hair of dark chocolate color with red tints, limbs are decorated with intricate transverse black and white patterns, and on the head (only in males) there are two small horns.

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Okapi, or Johnston's okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a species of artiodactyls, the only representative of the okapi genus. They live only in the Ituri rainforests, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Central Africa. Although okapi wear striped knee socks and are similar in appearance to horses, they are most closely related to giraffes.

Perhaps the most unusual fact about the okapi is that it was not known to science until 1901. Its taxonomic name, Okapia johnstoni, comes from its native Central African name, and the name of the person who first "discovered" it, Sir Harry Johnston, a British explorer, naturalist and colonial administrator.

Although the okapi resembles a horse in appearance, they have a relatively long neck, although not as long as that of its giraffe relative. Most of the body is painted in a velvety dark chestnut color. The animal's cheeks, throat and chest are lighter shades and can be either light brown or gray. The coat of the okapi is slightly oily to the touch and has a delicate fragrance. The tops of the hind and forelegs have distinct light stripes, the underparts are white, with the exception of longitudinal dark stripes on the front of the forelegs and a horizontal black stripe above the hooves on each leg.

A blue sticky tongue, about 35 cm long, is often used not only for washing the eyelids, but also for reading the ears, both inside and out. Male okapis have short, skin-covered small horns. Large ears help to detect a predator in time, for example, a leopard. These relatives of the giraffe weigh from 200 to 350 kg, the height at the withers is from 1.5 to 2.0 m.

Since okapis are very shy and secretive animals that live in remote places and avoid human encounters, most of the information about the biology of Johnston's okapi has been obtained from animals kept in captivity. They are largely solitary and although they were once thought to be nocturnal, okapi are now known to be active during the day as well.

They feed mainly on leaves, herbs, fruits, and fungi, some of which are known to be poisonous. It has been suggested that this is why, in addition, okapis also eat charcoal from burnt trees, which is an excellent antidote after ingesting toxins. Along with consuming a huge variety of plant material, okapi also eat clay, which provides their body with essential salts and minerals in its plant-based diet.

Both males and females have their own foraging areas, but they are not territorial animals, their holdings overlap, and sometimes okapi may graze together in small groups for a short period of time. Okapis are also known to communicate with each other using low "puffing" sounds and rely on hearing in the surrounding forest where they are unable to see very far.

The okapi has several methods by which they mark their territory: it can be resin - a similar substance secreted from the glands on the legs, and a mark with urine, both males and females rub their necks against trees for the same purpose. Males defend their domains but allow females to pass through.

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. To communicate with their young, okapi mothers use infrasonic waves, a sound that is below the range of human hearing - also used by elephants.

The young are weaned at six months, although they may continue to take milk for some time after that. The horns of young males appear at the age of about one year, and reach their adult size at the age of three. They are believed to reach sexual maturity after two years. Okapi in captivity lived up to 33 years.

Although okapi are not classified as endangered, they are under threat from habitat destruction and poaching. The population is estimated at 10,000-20,000 individuals.

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Okapi animal is the only representative of its kind from the Giraffe family, which belongs to the Artiodactyl order.

The external data of a wild animal is somewhat reminiscent of a horse, and besides, there are characteristic white stripes on its shins that can confuse you and make you think that this is a zebra.

We hasten to assure you that this is not so, and in this article, we will lift the veil of secrets and tell you the whole truth about these very shy and secretive animals.

Appearance

The body length of an adult reaches 2.5 meters, growth at the withers is from 152 to 173 cm. The tail is average 35-45 cm, weight reaches up to 255 kg. The eyes are pronounced, the ears are large and long. The tongue of the beast is so long that he is able to lick his eyes with it.

On the head of the animal there are two small horns, but only the male, the female does not have them. It is noteworthy that the female is several centimeters taller than the male.

The color of the coat of a chocolate-colored mammal, the coat is smooth and velvety, it shimmers in a scarlet hue. The legs are long, of course not as long as those, but much stronger and more powerful. They have whitish or dark tones, the muzzle is black and white. The neck is long and endowed with powerful and elastic muscles.

Habitat

The okapi animal lives in central Africa in the Republic of the Congo. Preferred places for living and breeding are tropical dense forests in the northern and eastern parts of the country. These places have the status of reserves, such as:

• Virunga;
• Salonga;
• Maiko;

Many lovers of these exotic are interested in the total number of animals living in this territory. No one has official data, since this species leads a secretive lifestyle. According to unofficial data, there are from 40 to 55 thousand of them, and in zoos of different countries there are no more than 162 of them.

It is sad, but we have to admit that every year their number is steadily declining due to constant deforestation, thereby forcing the population to look for new places to live. The fact is that the okapi is very difficult to adapt to unfamiliar territories, and often simply dies. The body of this species of animals is stress-resistant, which also adversely affects their numbers.

Lifestyle, nutrition

The diet of the mountain giraffe, also called the okapi, is no different from its counterpart, the common giraffe. It actively eats the deciduous part of woody plants.

The beast captures with its long and powerful tongue a young shoot, sliding a little pulling towards itself, rips off the entire leafy part. But that's not all the food he can eat. Here are a few other types of food he often eats:

• Mushrooms;
• Fruits;
• ferns;

However, our hero is very picky about food. Scientists have recorded that out of 14 plant families, he pays royal attention to only 29 species of herbs.

In the feces of the animal, charcoal and clay were found, which he eats along the banks of forest rivers. Apparently, okapi replenishes the deficiency of minerals in the body.

They eat in the daytime and spend all the activity of their life in the daytime. After dusk, they stay overnight in the same place. Mostly they lead a solitary lifestyle, but they can stray into small groups. What makes them do this is not known for certain.

reproduction

The mating season is from May to the end of July. The animal brings offspring of the okapi during the rainy season from August to October, until this time the female carries the baby in her womb for more than 450 days.

When an important moment comes, the female tries to go to the most thorny places in order to give birth in complete solitude. For some time the baby is left alone. When she returns to give the baby her fatty milk, she makes special sounds to which the little okapi responds, the sound of the cub more often resembles a cough.

At first, the mother protects her offspring, there were such situations that she even attacked people in order to protect her offspring.

Lifespan

In the wild, the animal lives no more than 30 years. Under special conditions of keeping and feeding, it can live up to 40 years.

More high-resolution photos from okapi are available.

P.S.

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Traveling through 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.

flickr/whiskeyboytx

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.

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.