Anatomy

The okapi is a beautiful and elusive animal, unknown to western scientists until 1900! Standing five feet (1.5 m) tall, its legs and hindquarters are covered in black and white stripes, similar to a zebra. Its closest living relative, however, is the giraffe. Like its giraffe cousin, the okapi has a long, dark, prehensile tongue that allows it to easily strip buds and leaves off branches, excellent hearing and a similarly shaped triangular head. The okapi’s body is covered in dark reddish brown fur that is thick and velvety but very oily, helping to keep the animal dry on rainy days. Although it generally travels alone, scent glands on the bottom of its feet allow it to keep track of its okapi neighbors and mark its territory.