Okapi Rainforest

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The Okapi (Okapi johnstoni) is a mammal that inhabits the dense Ituri Rainforest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the national symbol of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the only known living relative to the giraffe. Unlike its ancestors of the savanna, the Okapi does not have long neck due to its adaptions of their environment. The Okapi’s coat consists of a dark brown to auburn color over body and zebra like stripes covering the fore and hind legs. Like the giraffe, the Okapi is strictly an herbivore. Over a hundred species of leaves off of native plants of the Ituri forest compose the diet of the Okapi. Until the 1900’s the Okapi, was unknown to the scientific community in result of the location of the Okapi’s habit …show more content…

Males’ territory range 8-12km while females’ range 3-5.5km with little overlapping (san). They have been seen to feed in the day and night, diurnal, but the concentrations of their feedings are in early mornings and late afternoons (san). The diet of Okapis consists of over a hundred species of plants and clay as a mineral (a-z). Males mark their territory with urine and rubbing their neck on brush and females defecate at defecation sites to mark territory. Okapis are non-aggressive, but have been seen heading butting and charging when competing for females (san). All ages and sexes play but is more frequent in young. The gestation period of the Okapi is 440 days (wwf). The litter size is commonly one with only one sighting of twins. The young spends the first six to nine weeks in a nest, which the females will check on various times throughout the day (the okapi). There is rapid growth rapid the first couple of months and will be weaned at six months, but may continue suck up to a year. Maturity is not reached until 3 years old and Okapis may live up to thirty (san). The only known predators of Okapis are leopards and human, in which they use their highly developed sense of smell and hearing to elude …show more content…

In 1952, the first breeding center for Okapis was established in Democratic Republic of Congo. In 1987, the Okapi Conservation Project (OCP) was made to protect the habit in the Congo and with respect, in 1992, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve was established (san). The OCP is ran inside of the reserve. The Reserve is 5,290 square miles and contains the highest known density of Okapis in square mile (san). Two Pygmy tribes, the Mubuti and Efe, are also protected within the Reserve and are provided healthcare, education, and ability to work with the reserve. The Reserve works with government to prevent illegal activities like poaching, illegal mining, ivory trading, and illegal bush meat. With the technology of airplanes, Okapis have been raised in the U.S. and in Europe to establish breeding programs. The first Okapi born on North America soil was at the Brookfield zoo in

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