Kid Territory: Critters: Okapi
Makini is easy to pick out from the okapi herd. She sticks out her tongue, like this male okapi is doing.
Here is Makini with her first calf, Melaku, born July 2004!
Okapis are closely related to giraffes, but many people think they must be part zebra. Can you see why?
With that long tongue, okapis can reach for leaves high up in the trees of their rain forest home.
Wild Animal Park name: Makini
Species: Okapi
Location: Wild Animal Park's Heart of Africa
Her story
These unusual animals may look like they're made up of spare animal parts, but okapis are actually the only living relatives of the giraffe. They have long tongues like the giraffe, and can use their tongues to clean their own eyes and ears! Okapis live in the dense rain forests of central Africa. Their thick hair is dark reddish-brown, and is oily to help keep the rain off their skin. Okapi hair is so velvety that if you touch it, your handprint makes an impression! There are currently only about 25,000 of these animals in the world.
While okapis are shy and solitary in the wild, Makini seems to like attention from her keepers at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. She often greets them with a "chuffing" sound, and waits for someone to scratch her ears. The keepers say okapis have great survival instincts. There's much to be learned about okapis, too. In fact, scientists think these intriguing animals may make vocalizations that we can't hear at all!
A mellow lady
Makini's keepers say she's calm, mellow, and easy to work with. Of course, who knows what she's saying about them? If you see Makini, you may think you know what she's thinking because she walks around with her tongue sticking out! Keepers don't know why Makini's tongue hangs out, but it sure gives her a unique look!
Now that she's an adult, Makini has become a mom. Okapis are great mothers, and care for their babies for two to three years. The Wild Animal Park has had over 30 okapi births. That's the highest birth rate for okapis outside of Africa!
Where you can see her
Makini and the rest of the okapis can be seen browsing on acacia leaves in their enclosure just inside the Heart of Africa exhibit at the Wild Animal Park. It's easy to spot her among the other okapis—just look for the one sticking out her tongue! Don't look for them on a rainy day, however. Even though okapis are rain forest animals, they seem to slip and slide all over the mud! The keepers don't want them to get hurt, so the okapis are brought into their barn when it's wet outside.
More
Wild Animal Park:
Heart of Africa
Animal-themed Recipes: Okapi
Oatmeal
Job Profiles: Taking
Care of Animals
Animal Bytes: Okapi, Giraffe, Tropical
Rain Forest
Blogs: Secret Language of the Okapi
