shawn529 on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/shawn529/art/Okapi-41736136shawn529

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Okapi

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Description

I was going through my memory cards to clean them out before my visit to the zoo tomorrow and came across this one. It's an Okapi. This was taken May 2004.


*Edit*

Taken from the San Antonio Zoo Sign:

"The Elusive Okapi - Okapia johnstoni

Found only in the Ituri Forest of Central Africa, okapi are
endangered and rarely seen, wester scientists did not even
know they existed until 1901.


Now You See It,
Now you Don't


Why the striped rump? In their
dense forest home, the okapi's
stripes help them blend into the
shadows and escape danger.


Hidden Treasure

Shelered from danger in a nest of
leaves, the young okai calf will spend
its first two months lying still, nursing
little and giving off no waste. By
doing this, the young goes undetected
by predators such as the leopard.


Mystery Solved

Looks can be confusing, In the early
1900s some wondered if the okapi was a
cross between several animals because
the rear looked like a zebra and the head
was like a giraffe. Today we know the
okapi is a relative of the giraffe.

A Living Lesson

Because of their secretive and
solitary life in the wild, most of
man's scientific knowledge of okapi
behavior comes from observations
of okapi in zoos today.


Got You Licked!

Can you clean your ears with your
tongue? The okapi can! It's tongue
is over 12 inches long and is great
for stripping leaves from trees and
groomin its eyes and ears.

The okapi's tongue is 12-16 inches long!"
Image size
1153x1587px 507.92 KB
Make
Asahi Optical Co.,Ltd.
Model
PENTAX Optio430RS
Shutter Speed
1/200 second
Aperture
F/4.8
Focal Length
23 mm
Date Taken
May 4, 2005, 12:28:52 PM
© 2006 - 2024 shawn529
Comments16
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Lady-Lumiya's avatar
I love okapi's. i remember the first time i saw one was at a zoo and i was 14, i was so impressed i bought a small stuffed toy okapi at the souvenir shop later and i still sleep with it on my bed xD