Okapi

Scientific Name: Okapia johnstoni

The okapi is perhaps the most unique large mammal in the world.  First described by western scientists in 1902, the okapi is a species of forest giraffe which lives in the rainforests found only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa.  Feeding on a large variety of plants the okapi are specialized leaf eaters that lead solitary lives in the lowland rainforests.  Reports of the fantastic okapi reached the zoo world and the first live okapi was brought to the Antwerp Zoo in 1918.

In 1987 White Oak Conservation Center initiated the Okapi Conservation Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire).   The main objective of the Project is the protection the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, a World Heritage Site consisting of 13,700 sq. km. of rainforest and harboring significant wildlife populations including okapi, elephants, primates, and birds.  White Oak continues to operate the Project and provides technical, financial, and administrative support for the conservation programs.  Heralding a new era in cooperative conservation, zoos holding okapi in the US, Europe, and Japan work with White Oak Conservation Center and provide critically important annual support for the protection of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve.

The Conservation Center has developed a significant captive breeding program for the okapi.  Dedicated facilities and trained staff provide excellent care in which the okapi thrive.  Specific research projects have been developed to learn more about the species’ unique biology and captive requirements and to allow us to provide optimal health, husbandry, and nutrition for the okapi.  The Center also imported okapi from the Okapi Project in Africa, which have reproduced well in the climate and okapi management facilities at White Oak. These animals have contributed greatly to the growing captive okapi population, and serve as ambassadors and help generate support for the important wild okapi population and rainforest habitats and diversity in Africa.