Check out this rare (and VERY cute) baby okapi!
- Published
Zookeepers have named the female calf Nia Nia after a village in the Democratic Republic of Congo – the only place in the world where okapis are found in the wild.
Aww, look at those beautiful eyes! Conservationists say the new arrival is a ‘vital’ boost to the endangered species breeding programme. Despite their protected status, the species has suffered a 50% decline in the past two decades - a result of hunting for its meat and skin, habitat loss and civil unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Guess what - okapi's can lick their own ears! And aren't these ears glorious! The okapi’s tongue measures between 14 and 18 inches long – that’s long enough to clean its ears and wash its eyelids. Amazing!
Keepers at Chester Zoo have described the rare new okapi calf as “all ears and long, spindly legs!” The okapi’s zebra-like stripes on its back legs allow offspring to easily follow their mothers into the dense forests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, keeping them well hidden from predators.
Nia Nia spent the first few weeks of her life snuggled up in a cosy nest and has only recently stepped outside for the first time. Her mum is seven-years-old and called K’tusha.
The best fact has been saved 'til last... Newborn okapi's don’t take their first poo until they reach one month old!