EXCITING NEWS: We’ve welcomed the birth of a rare okapi calf, named Arabi! 💜 At only six weeks old, watch her adorable journey outdoors for the first time 🙌 | Chester Zoo

1.7K views · 104 reactions | Did you know that okapi are territorial animals? This helps to explain why they are solitary. Okapi have multiple ways of marking their territory including a scent gland on each foot which releases a tar-like substance to indicate the area is theirs. Furthermore, they can also secrete urine to mark their territory, as can be seen from this footage from one of our camera traps. | Okapi Conservation Project | Facebook

In the wild, okapi can only be found in the Ituri Rainforest in the Congo. They are famous for being the last large mammal discovered in Africa in the early 1900s. Stop by to see our okapi pair, Sukari and Kwame, next to our Asian elephant bachelor yard. Watch this week’s replay to learn more: bit.ly/2wHMYBw | Houston Zoo

Despite being the only living relative of the giraffe, the okapi was unknown to the Western world until the early 1900s. It lives deep in the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it incredibly difficult to spot in the wild. Its camouflage — dark body with zebra-like stripes on its legs — helps it blend into the shadows and dappled light of the forest. Because of its shy, solitary nature and remote habitat, even researchers and conservationists rarely see them in the wild