Sector: the animal kingdom animalia Door: Door chordata vertebrate Class: mammalia mammalia Head: Artiodactyla artiodactyla Division: Division giraffidae giraffe Genus: okapi is okapia lankester, 1901 Species: Okapi o. johnstoni Protection Status: Low risk - close to threatened The researchers noted that such rare animals in the Congo about the national protected areas from 4000 to 6000, and in the world, only 30,000 or so. Okapi was only in 1901 that Western scholars.
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Features
Okapi adult weighing about 200-250 kg, between 1.9 to 2.5 meters in length, tail length 30-42 cm tall at the shoulder between about 1.5 to 2.0 meters. Females average larger than the male beast.
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Habits
In addition to leaves and leaves outside the okapi also eat grass, ferns, fruit and fungi. Okapi is a diurnal animal, usually single, only in the mating encounter together. Pregnancy is 421-457 days. Birth to a cub at a time, usually in the month of August to 10 born cub birth weight 14-30 kg. Lactation period is about 10 months, 4 to 5 years maturity. Okapi to be raised off the life of 15 to 30 years. Okapi need to sleep for 5 minutes a day, they are always vigilant. Each foot using the Okapi glands secrete a substance like asphalt to mark the place they came, and use of urine to mark their territory.
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Distribution
Okapi is only distributed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and northern parts of dense tropical rain forest, such as Virunga National Park Nature Reserve.
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History
Cologne zoo okapi in the Congo rainforest okapi locals always know the existence of traps they use to hunt okapi. The ancient Egyptians knew the existence of okapi, okapi in the Europeans in Egypt shortly after it discovered a mural with Okapi. Later explorers Henry Morton Stanley to go there in the jungle when the locals reported that Stanley brought in horses and similar animals. Many have speculated that it was in the end is a animal. Some even call it the "African unicorn." At that time the British Governor of Uganda, Sir Harry Johnston saw the footprints of some of these animals, he has not found the footprints horse live in the forest footprint, but the footprints of cloven-hoofed animals. Zoological Society of London until 1900 has gained a number of local people hunting in the Okapi's fur. Zoologist who at that time to this unknown species named equus johnstoni, that it is regulated into the horse. But in June 1901 a nearly complete skull fur and two to Europe, the zoologist who recognize them are divided into the wrong horse, and soon realized that these animals short-necked giraffes and European ice age fossil similarities. White personnel until 1909 captured a live okapi, after many years in vain to compete with each other hunters become the first captive okapi white one. In 1918 the first live okapi first be shipped to Europe Antwerp. In 1937 the first living okapi first to reach the U.S. through Antwerp. State of Illinois Brookfield Zoo bred the first okapi in captivity. The zoo is also responsible for coordinating the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, okapi surviving plan. Today, about 45 okapi in captivity in a zoo.
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Status
The okapi is very timid, but also live in a country at war with dense forest, so people known for their wild habits little wild for they are only guessing the number of data. Rough guess (but very unreliable) estimates there are 1 to 20,000 wild animals. Although the okapi was not included in the threatened species of animals, but they were destroyed by the living environment and poaching threats. Zoologists are still in the Congo to study habits of wild okapi. Established in 1992, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. Congolese civil war that threatened the okapi is also a threat to protected areas, staff safety. June 8, 2006 scientists reported in the Congo Virunga National Park, found evidence of okapi. This is the first time in 1959 after local officials announced the re-discovered okapi.
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Name
Okapi from the Latin genus name okapia its local name o'api, its species name is in honor of the first time johnstoni okapi skull Harry Johnston.
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Other
Zoological Society will be the mysterious okapi as its symbol. In the original "Hitchhiker's Guide" radio series hero Arthur Dent's brother was reportedly killed by an okapi. Carefully in the final analysis there is no radio play out how it was.
