O is for Okapi

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Since today is World Giraffe Day, I thought I'd tell you about the only relative to the giraffe, the okapi. The okapi is also called the forest giraffe, the zebra giraffe and the Congolese giraffe. The habitat is the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. They are approximately 5 feet tall at the shoulder and 8 feet long and weigh 440-770 lbs. They are chocolate to reddish-brown in color and have white stripes on their legs and white ankles. Males have short, hair-covered horn-like protuberances on their heads, similar to the giraffes. They are essentially solitary animals and are herbivores, feasting on tree leaves, grasses, ferns, fruits, etc. Their gestational period is from 440-450 days; and the female has one calf. Have you ever seen an okapi? Photo Credit: Pixabay