THE OKAPI

It has the buttocks and legs of a zebra and the head of a giraffe. Could it be the offspring of both? Unfortunately, not.  The Okapi, as what it is formally known, is a close relative of the giraffe and lives in the Ituiri Rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It was once described by 1887 English discoverer Henry Morton Stanley as a type of donkey with striped backsides that dwell in the woodlands. Its etymological name is Okapia Johnstoni, as derived from its etymological christener Sir Harry Johnston, who was a British governor of Uganda.

Harry Johnston was intrigued by the animal after reading Morton’s book about his trip to Central Africa.  He then gained knowledge of the species after saving native inhabitants of the area called “pygmies” from a showman who kidnapped them for display. Although he never had actually seen the okapi, he collected some bones and officially named its species in 1901.

Their name “Okapi” originally means forest giraffe in Sudan language. It is also known as the “African Unicorn”.

The Okapi’s diet varies from fruits, berries, to plants poisonous to human beings.  Okapis have long bluish-grey tongues that sometimes reach their ears to help groom themselves. They are diurnal, which means they feed in both nighttime and daytime.  What’s more interesting about them is that they can live up to fifteen years in captivity. They are solitary creatures whose habitat is slowly being endangered due to the vast property developments by humans.

Okapis generally have giraffe characteristics like large ears, small horns and short manes. Their necks are relatively shorter than their cousins, just as they are smaller. They stand at about 5 feet, and weigh between four hundred fifty to five hundred fifty pounds (or up to two hundred fifty kilograms).

It would be interesting to see one personally, don’t you agree?

Giraffe

True Wild Life | Giraffe | Giraffes are found in parts of Africa and are the tallest mammals on Earth standing at an average of 6 metres tall. The giraffe is able to reach twigs and leaves at the top of trees that other animals cannot get to thanks to the vast length of the neck of the giraffe. The giraffe is thought to be related to cattle and deer, and inhabit plains, grasslands and wooded areas. Giraffes can spend long periods of time in hot, dry lands as the giraffe is able to drink enormous quantities of water when they come across it.

Male giraffes tend to be more solitary animals than the female giraffes. Female giraffes can often be found in small groups on the African Savannah normally with their young giraffes following close behind their mother giraffes. Despite the fact that a giraffes head is approximately 6 m above ground, the common theory that giraffes are more flexible than the average animal is untrue as the giraffe has the same amount of bones in its neck as any other animal, which is 7. The giraffe is also unable to turn its head back.

The giraffe has spots covering its entire body which is believed to help the giraffe camouflage itself slightly in the African wilderness. Giraffes however, do not have spots on the underside of their tummies and each giraffe has spots that are truly unique to the giraffe as an individual.

Giraffe Foot Facts

• The giraffe has a hoof-like foot that is split into sections that provide the giraffe with a greater surface area and therefore better balance.

• The average hoof of an adult giraffe is about the same size as a dinner plate and can reach 12 inches in diameter.

• When a giraffe walks, the giraffe moves both feet on one side of the body first and then moves both feet on the other side of their body.

• When a giraffe runs, the giraffe moves both feet at the front of its body followed by its back feet as this allows the giraffe to gallop effectively and therefore escape any oncoming predators.

• The hoof of the giraffe is used to fend off unwanted company and is also very adept for walking on solid ground, however the hoof is not very effective on muddy ground and simply sinks into it.

Giraffe Teeth Facts

• The giraffe has very tough lips to ensure that no damage is done to their mouths when chewing on trees and twigs that have thorns.

• The giraffe uses its front teeth and lips to grab onto their food and then pulls it into their mouths using their long tongues before they begin to chew.

• The giraffe has one set of teeth at the front on its bottom jaw and one set at the back on the top jaw, but the giraffe also has a hard plate at the top of its mouth.

• The giraffe uses its teeth, long tongue and hard plate to cut up food before the back teeth are able to chew the last bits before the giraffe can swallow it.

• The two sets of molars in the mouth of the giraffe means that the giraffe has 32 teeth, which is the same amount as humans have.