‼️ Please note: Due to the high winds, Yorkshire Wildlife Park is closed (24th January) for the safety of our animals and customers. If you have a booking for today please email [email protected] with your booking reference number for your free return 🐾

Evolution Experience Restaurant, Wilds Café Bistro, Uproar Play Barn and the independent retailers at The Yorkshire Hive remain open as usual.

Okapi

Status

Endangered Species
Size

Up to 300 kg
Threat

Habitat loss
Distribution

Central Africa
Diet

Herbivore

Meet the Okapi, a fascinating animal often referred to as the ‘Forest Giraffe’.

Okapi are native to the northeastern rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. They are very shy, solitary and elusive animals. They use their long tongue to strip leaves from tree branches and shrubbery in the lower canopy. Their most defining feature includes the horizontal black and white stripes found around their rump and upper forelegs. Male okapis average around 2.5 metres long and stand about 1.5 metres at the shoulder. Females are generally slightly taller and weigh a little more than adult males.

Where in the park?

Step foot on a safari adventure through the heart of Africa!

Visit Into Africa!

DID YOU KNOW?

Even though Okapi look more like a Zebra or Deer, they are in fact the only living relative of the Giraffe!

THREATS

The species is most concentrated in the forests of the Ituri, Aruwimi and Nepoko basins. Okapi are vulnerable to large-scale intensive disturbances such as tree logging and human settlement. In some regions Okapi are also hunted using cable snares for their skins and meat.