The Okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a large African ungulate featured in Planet Zoo. It is featured in the Standard Edition of the game.
Zoopedia Description[]
General[]
Population in the Wild: 10,000-35,000
The okapi (or Okapia johnstoni) is a secretive species native to the dense forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They have a distinctive appearance with a grey-white face, dark brown coat across their torso, as well as bright white stripes across their legs and hindquarters. The sexes differ slightly as the males also have small horns, whereas females have whorls of hair in the equivalent area. Both average 1.4 to 1.6m tall and 2.4 to 2.6m long.
The species is endangered for a number of reasons. Firstly, deforestation and the expansion of human infrastructure have caused the destruction of their habit, but they are also killed for the bushmeat trade and have been victims of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The war there means the use of firearms and also the enforcement of boundaries, which may impact on their territory and foraging routes. The okapi is the flagship species for the Congo rainforest ecosystem, and as such has nature reserves and multiple captive breeding programs dedicated to protecting it.
Social[]
Okapis are solitary, interacting only to mate - the only exception being a mother with her calf.
Reproduction[]
Okapis live alone in dense woodland, marking their territory with scent released from glands in their feet. These are then tracked by other okapis in order to mate; when two meet, they will court each other by circling, sniffing and licking each other, before mating and going their separate ways. After a pregnancy of 14 to 16 months, the mother will give birth to one calf, which spends the first two months of its life hiding in the undergrowth while its mother forages. The young okapi mature into adults at 2 years old, leaving to establish their own home range.
Animal Care[]
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PREFERRED OBJECTS | |
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Hay · Herbivore Pellets · Ferns and Salt Licks | |
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FEEDING STATIONS | |
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FOOD ENRICHMENT |
HABITAT ENRICHMENT |
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COMPATIBLE ANIMALS |
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Trivia[]
Zoopedia Fun Facts[]
- The okapi and the giraffe are the only members of the giraffe family.
- Newborn okapis do not defecate for the first month of their life to prevent predators from locating them.
- Okapis have a 30 cm long prehensile tongue.
- Okapis can retract their eyeballs into their skull to protect their eyes when travelling through thick undergrowth.
- The okapi had the nickname 'African unicorn' before it was officially discovered. People would tell stories of seeing a 'donkey-like' creature with small horns in the forest, but its existence wasn't confirmed until 1901.
Other Trivia[]
- The okapi was formally revealed on World Animal Day.[1]
Gallery[]
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