text: okapi the okapi / / ( okapia johnstoni ) , is a giraffid artiodactyl mammal native to the northeast of the democratic republic of the congo in central africa . although the okapi bears striped markings reminiscent of zebras , it is most closely related to the giraffe . the okapi and the giraffe are the only living members of the family giraffidae . the okapi stands about 1 . 5 m ( 4 . 9 ft ) tall at the shoulder and has an average body length of about 2 . 5 m ( 8 . 2 ft ) . its weight ranges from 200 to 350 kg ( 440 to 770 lb ) . it has a long neck , and large , flexible ears . its coat is a chocolate to reddish brown , much in contrast with the white horizontal stripes and rings on the legs and white ankles . male okapis have short , hair - covered horns called ossicones , less than 15 cm ( 5 . 9 in ) in length . females possess hair whorls , and ossicones are absent . okapis are primarily diurnal but may be active for a few hours in darkness . they are essentially solitary , coming together only to breed . okapis are herbivores , feeding on tree leaves and buds , grasses , ferns , fruits , and fungi . rut in males and estrus in females does not depend on the season . in captivity , estrous cycles recur every 15 days . the gestational period is around 440 to 450 days long , following which usually a single calf is born . the juveniles are kept in hiding , and nursing takes place infrequently . juveniles start taking solid food from three months , and weaning takes place at six months . okapis inhabit canopy forests at altitudes of 500 – 1 , 500 m ( 1 , 600 – 4 , 900 ft ) . they are endemic to the tropical forests of the democratic republic of the congo , where they occur across the central , northern and eastern regions . the international union for the conservation of nature and natural resources ( iucn ) classifies the okapi as endangered . major threats include habitat loss due to logging and human settlement . extensive hunting for bushmeat and skin and illegal mining have also led to a decline in populations . the okapi conservation project was established in 1987 to protect okapi populations . etymology and taxonomy the scientific name of the okapi is okapia johnstoni . it was first described by british zoologist ray lankester in 1901 . the generic name okapia derives from the karo name o , while the specific name ( johnstoni ) is in recognition of the british governor of uganda , sir harry johnston , who first acquired an okapi specimen for science from the ituri forest while repatriating a group of pygmies to the belgian congo . the animal was brought to prominent european attention by speculation on its existence found in press reports covering henry morton stanley 's journeys in 1887 . remains of a carcass were later sent to london by the english adventurer and colonial administrator harry johnston and became a media event in 1901 . in 1901 , zoologist philip sclater presented a painting of the okapi before the zoological society of london that depicted its physical features with some clarity . there was much confusion regarding the taxonomical status of this newly discovered animal . sir harry johnston himself called it a , or a relative of other extinct giraffids . based on the description of the okapi by pygmies , who referred to it as a " horse " , sclater named the species equus johnstoni . subsequently , lankester declared that the okapi represented an unknown genus of giraffidae , which he placed in its own genus okapia , and assigned the name okapia johnstoni to the species . in 1902 , swiss zoologist charles immanuel forsyth major suggested the inclusion of o. johnstoni in the extinct giraffid subfamily . however , the species was placed in its own subfamily , by swedish palaeontologist birger bohlin in 1926 , mainly due to the lack of a cingulum , a major feature of the . in 1986 , okapia was finally established as a sister genus of giraffa on the basis of cladistic analysis . the two genera together with palaeotragus constitute the tribe . evolution the earliest members of giraffidae first appeared in the early miocene in africa , having diverged from the superficially deer - like . spread into europe and asia by the middle miocene in a first radiation . another radiation began in the pliocene but was terminated by a decline in diversity in the pleistocene . several important primitive giraffids existed more or less contemporaneously in the miocene ( 23 - 10 million years ago ) , including canthumeryx , giraffokeryx , palaeotragus and samotherium . according to palaeontologist and author kathleen hunt , samotherium split into okapia ( 18 million years ago ) and giraffa ( 12 million years ago ) . however , another author j. d. skinner argued that canthumeryx gave rise to the okapi and giraffe through the latter three genera and that the okapi is the extant form of palaeotragus . the okapi is sometimes referred to as an example of a living fossil , as it has existed as a species over a long geological time period , and morphologically resembles more primitive forms ( e.g. samotherium ) . a study published in 2016 found that the common ancestor of giraffe and okapi lived about 11 . 5 million years ago . characteristics the okapi is a medium - sized giraffid , standing 1 . 5 m ( 4 . 9 ft ) tall at the shoulder . its average body length is about 2 . 5 m ( 8 . 2 ft ) and its weight ranges from 200 to 350 kg ( 440 to 770 lb ) . it has a long neck , and large and flexible ears . the coat is a chocolate to reddish brown , much in contrast with the white horizontal stripes and rings on the legs and white ankles . the striking stripes make it resemble a zebra . these features serve as an effective camouflage amidst dense vegetation . the face , throat and chest are greyish white . interdigital glands are present on all four feet , and are slightly larger on the front feet . male okapis have short , hair - covered horns called ossicones , less than 15 cm ( 5 . 9 in ) in length . the okapi exhibits sexual dimorphism , with females 4 . 2 cm ( 1 . 7 in ) taller on average , slightly redder and lacking prominent horns , instead possessing hair whorls . the okapi shows several adaptations to its tropical habitat . the large number of rod cells in the retina facilitate night vision , and there is an efficient olfactory system . the large auditory bullae lead to a strong sense of hearing . the dental formula of the okapi is 0 . 0 . 3 . 33 . 1 . 3 . 3 . teeth are low - crowned , fine - cusped and efficiently cut tender foliage . the large caecum and colon help in microbial digestion , and a quick rate of food passage allows for lower cell wall digestion than in other ruminants . the okapi can be easily distinguished from its nearest extant relative , the giraffe . it is much smaller and shares more external similarities with the deer and bovids than with the giraffe . while both sexes possess horns in the giraffe , only males bear horns in the okapi . the okapi has large palatine sinuses , unique among the giraffids . morphological similarities shared between the giraffe and the okapi include a similar gait - both use a pacing gait , stepping simultaneously with the front and the hind leg on the same side of the body , unlike other ungulates that walk by moving alternate legs on either side of the body - and a long black tongue ( longer in the okapi ) useful in plucking buds and leaves as well as for grooming . ecology and behaviour okapis are primarily diurnal but may be active for a few hours in darkness . they are essentially solitary , coming together only to breed . they have overlapping home ranges and typically occur at densities of about 0 . 6 animals per square kilometre . male home ranges average 13 km2 ( 5 . 0 sq mi ) while female home ranges average 3 – 5 km2 ( 1 . 2 – 1 . 9 sq mi ) . males migrate continuously , while females are sedentary . males often mark territories and bushes with their urine , while females use common defecation sites . grooming is a common practice , focused at the earlobes and the neck . okapis often rub their neck against trees , leaving a brown exudate . the male is protective of his territory , but allows females to pass through the domain to forage . males visit female home ranges at the time of breeding . although generally tranquil , the okapi can kick and butt with its head to show aggression . as the vocal cords are poorly developed , vocal communication is mainly restricted to three sounds - " " ( contact calls used by both sexes ) , " moan " ( by females during courtship ) and " bleat " ( by infants under stress ) . individuals may engage in flehmen response , a visual expression in which the animals curls back its upper lips , displays the teeth and inhales through the mouth for a few seconds . the leopard is the main predator of the okapi . diet okapis are herbivores , feeding on tree leaves and buds , grasses , ferns , fruits , and fungi . they prefer to feed in gaps . the staple food comprises shrubs and lianas . the main constituents of the diet are woody , dicotyledonous species ; monocotyledonous plants are not eaten regularly . in the ituri forest , the okapi feeds mainly upon the plant families acanthaceae , , euphorbiaceae , , , rubiaceae and . reproduction female okapis become sexually mature when about one - and - a - half year old , while males reach maturity after two years . rut in males and estrus in females does not depend on the season . in captivity , estrus cycles recur every 15 days . the male and the female begin courtship by circling , smelling and licking each other . the male shows his dominance by extending his neck , tossing his head and protruding one leg forward . this is followed by mounting and copulation . the gestational period is around 440 to 450 days long , following which usually a single calf is born , weighing 14 – 30 kg ( 31 – 66 lb ) . the udder of the pregnant female starts swelling two months before parturition , and discharges may occur . parturition takes 3 – 4 hours , and the female stands throughout this period , though she may rest during brief intervals . the mother consumes the afterbirth , and extensively grooms the infant . the milk of the female is very rich in proteins and has low fat content . as in other ruminants , the infant can stand within 30 minutes of birth . although generally similar to adults , newborn calves have false eyelashes , a long dorsal mane and long white hairs in the stripes . these features gradually disappear and give way to the general appearance within a year . the juveniles are kept in hiding , and nursing takes place infrequently . the growth rate of calves is appreciably high in the first few months of birth , after which it gradually declines . juveniles start taking solid food from three months , and weaning takes place at six months . horn development in males takes one year after birth . the okapi 's average lifespan is 20 to 30 years . habitat and distribution okapis inhabit canopy forests at altitudes of 500 – 1 , 500 m ( 1 , 600 – 4 , 900 ft ) . they are endemic to the tropical forests of the democratic republic of the congo . they do not occur in gallery forests , habitats disturbed by human settlement and swamp forests , but may occasionally use seasonally inundated areas . in the wet season , they visit rocky inselbergs that offer forage uncommon elsewhere . a study found that the population density of the okapi averaged 0 . 53 animals per square kilometre in mixed forests . the okapi occurs across central , northern and eastern democratic republic of the congo , and north and east of the congo river . the species ranges from the maiko forest northward to the ituri forest , then through the river basins of the rubi , lake tele and ebola to the west and the ubangi river further north . smaller populations exist west and south of the congo river . they are also common in the and areas . the okapi is extinct in uganda . threats and conservation the international union for the conservation of nature and natural resources ( iucn ) classifies the okapi as endangered . it is fully protected under congolese law . the okapi wildlife reserve and maiko national park support significant populations of the okapi , though there has been a steady decline in numbers due to several threats . other areas of occurrence are the rubi tele hunting reserve and the reserve . major threats include habitat loss due to logging and human settlement . extensive hunting for bushmeat and skin and illegal mining have also led to population declines . a threat that has emerged quite recently is the presence of illegal armed groups around protected areas , inhibiting conservation and monitoring actions . a small population occurs north of the virunga national park , but is bereft of protection due to the presence of armed groups in the vicinity . in june 2012 , a gang of poachers attacked the headquarters of the okapi wildlife reserve , killing six guards and other staff as well as 13 of the captive okapi . the okapi conservation project , established in 1987 , works towards the conservation of the okapi as well as the growth of the indigenous people . in november 2011 , the white oak conservation center and jacksonville zoo and gardens hosted an international meeting of the okapi species survival plan ( ssp ) and the okapi european endangered species programme ( eep ) at jacksonville , which was attended by representatives from zoos from the usa , europe and japan . the aim was to discuss the management of captive okapis and arrange support for okapi conservation . many zoos in north america and europe currently have okapis in captivity .