Classification:
Class Mammalia, Order Artiodactyla (even-toed hooves), Family Giraffidae (giraffes and okapi), Genus Okapia, species johnstoni

The Okapi is said to be the only living relative of the giraffe. It is a dark brown animal resembling a donkey with striped legs. Okapi is a corruption of the native name oapi.  Sir Harry H. Johnston (1858-1927), explorer and author, discovered the okapi while in the Colonial Administration of British Central Africa.

Where are they found ?
Okapis are found only in the tropical forests of northeastern Zaire. They prefer altitudes between 500 and 1,000 m, although they may venture above 1,000 m in the eastern montane rainforests.  The range of the okapi is limited by high montane forests to the east, swamp forests below 500 m to the west, savannas of the Sahel/Sodan to the north, and open woodlands to the south. Okapis are most common in the Wamba and Epulu areas .

They frequent river banks and stream beds and may occasionally venture into areas of secondary forest growth.

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve occupies about one-fifth of the Ituri forest in the north-east of Zaire. The Zaire river basin, of which the reserve and forest are a part, is one of the largest drainage systems in Africa. The reserve contains threatened species of primates and birds and about 5,000 of the estimated 30,000 okapi surviving in the wild. It also has some dramatic scenery, including waterfalls on the Ituri and Epulu rivers. The reserve is inhabited by traditional nomadic pygmy Mbuti and Efe hunters.

What do they look like?
The okapi has a form superficially resembling that of a horse. Average body length is 2.5 m, and average height at the shoulder is 1.5 m. The neck is relatively long in comparison to that of other ruminants, and the ears are large and flexible. The body is chocolate-brown, with creamy white horizontal stripes on the legs and hindquarters and white stockings on the ankles. The cheeks, throat, and chest are whitish-gray or tan (Bodmer 1992). The unique color pattern of the okapi allows it to disappear into the background of dense vegetation and rotting leaves where it lives (Grzimek 1990). Male okapis have hair-covered horns not exceeding 15 cm in length. The horns are fused to the frontal bones over the orbits and project rearward. Females may be slightly red in color, lack horns, and average 4.2 cm taller than males. Both males and females have interdigital glands on the front and hind feet (Bodmer 1992). The most giraffe-like feature of the okapi is the long black tongue which is used for plucking buds, leaves, and branches from trees and shrubs as well as for grooming (Kingdon 1979). In addition, the walking gait of the okapi closely resembles that of a giraffe. Both giraffe and okapi simultaneously step with the front and hind leg on the same side of the body rather than moving alternate legs on either side like other ungulates (Dagg, 1960)

Okapi (or "forest giraffe") is a solitary, giraffe-like mammal found in rainforests of the upper Congo River Basin in central Africa. This nocturnal (most active at night) animal was only discovered by scientists in the early 1900s. Okapi have a life span of 15 to 20 years in captivity.

Anatomy:
The Okapi`s coat is deep reddish-brown; it has zebra-like stripes on its hindquarters and upper legs. The neck is shorter than that of a giraffe, and the okapi is much smaller than the giraffe. It is about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall at the shoulders and weighs about 450 to 550 pounds (200-250 kg). The Okapi has a long, sticky tongue which it uses to get leaves and for grooming - its can even lick its eyes with its tongue.

Diet:
The Okapi is an herbivore (a plant-eater). It eats leaves, shoots, fruit, and berries, spending most of its time eating. Okapi are ruminants; they swallow their food without chewing it. After a while, they regurgitate a partly-digested "cud" which they chew and then swallow for the last time.