The wonderous okapi is probably an animal not much people know about, although the great okapi is known to be a forest giraffe. The okapi is a mammal and is part of the Giraffidae family. The okapis scientific name is the okapia johnstoni

The okapi has striped markings similar to zebras on them. Since the okapis are apart of the giraffidae family, they got the same genes from giraffes. For example, they have a 45cm tongue and are 150cm at shoulder height, and the typical body length is 2.5m (250cm) Okapis have a long neck, and large, pointy ears that are flexible. They have chocolate, reddish fur with white horizontal stripes which also occur on their legs and ankles as white rings. Male okapis have a short distinct horn on their heads called an ossicone that are less then 15cm. Female okapis have hair whorls and no ossicone.

The okapis are interestingly native to the Northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. They live in canopy forests but are sadly endangered due to habitat loss. Okapis occur North and East of Congo river and range from Maiko National park north of the Ituri rainforest and through the rivers of the Rubi, Lake, Tele and Ebola to the West and Ubangi river far north. The smaller population of okapi range south and west of the Congo river and are more common in Wamba and Epulu area. Okapis like to be in seasonally overloaded areas except swamps and gallery forests.

Okapis are herbivores and they're the only known mammal to eat the understory vegetation in forest canopies. They also feed on tree leaves, buds, grasses, ferns, fruit and fungi. When okapis are in need of food they use their 45cm tongue to search for food. Okapis eat over 100 different types of plants and dominate 100 species of animals by eating the most plants out of them.

While okapis reproduction process is long female okapis maturity occurs to them after them being one and a half years old while males maturity occurs to them once their 2 years old. Okapis can reproduce in any season and they begin the process of reproducing by licking, selling and circling each other. Male okapis show interest to the female okapis by extending its neck, tossing its head and extending one leg forward. Female okapis gestational periods last for around 440-450 days long, but while the gestational period is happening a single calf can be born. If the okapi is gonna give birth, her udders will start swelling 2 months before giving birth and once they do give birth the process takes 3-4 hours and a calf will be born.

The okapis are rarely ever seen in the wild and their zebra stripes can serve many purposes like help a young one guide its way through dark forests and they can also helps camouflage.