An Okapi cub was born in the Sharjah Zoological Center.
Dubai, UAE. In the Sharjah Zoological Center, the Al Bustan Zoological Center gave birth to okapi cub, a representative of an endangered species of animals, sometimes called forest giraffes.
The kid (male) weighing 16 kg received the name Quito, which translates from the Swahili language as "precious cub". “His mother Mbura gave birth for the first time, which makes the birth of Quito special. In the future he will be bred with other females, which will help preserve this rare species of animals,” the center said.
According to zoologists, in the world there are from 10 to 35 thousand okapi individuals. The physique of okapi at first glance is more reminiscent of a horse than a giraffe, in addition, they have stripes on their limbs, like a zebra. The only state on whose territory okapi are found is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Okapi is inhabited by dense tropical forests in the north and east of the country, for example, in the reserves of Salonga, Maiko and Virunga.
The history of the discovery of okapi is one of the most high-profile zoological sensations of the 20th century. It belongs to the Englishman Johnston, who worked as the governor of Uganda. The Belgians gave him two pieces of the skin of an then unknown okapi. The Royal Zoological Society in London carefully studied the specimens and came to the conclusion that these skins do not belong to any zebra species. In 1900, the first description of okapi appeared in scientific publications, in which the animal was called "Johnston's horse."
Video announcement:
