The Okapi, a Forest Ambassador
The okapi is an endemic species of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is the national conservation symbol of the country.  As a flagship species, the okapi serves as an ambassador representing the incredible diversity of species found in the region.

Perhaps better known for civil unrest, refugees and volcanoes, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) holds significant blocks of forest, harboring unique wildlife and plants including endemic species like the bonobo, eastern lowland gorilla, Congo peafowl and the distinct wildlife treasure, the okapi.  A conservation icon in the DRC, the okapi leads a mysterious solitary life, this relative of the giraffe is entirely dependent on the forest sanctuary for its survival.  The okapi is an ambassador representing the diversity of the forest while helping garner support for conservation.  Protecting the okapi and their equatorial rainforest home benefits thousands of species, and quite possibly the entire world.

In 1901 Sir Harry Johnston, Governor of Uganda obtained okapi skins and skulls sending them on to the British Museum where they were revealed to western science. Known now as Okapia johnstoni, the okapi is not a zebra but a most unique forest giraffe, endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Nearly as mysterious today as when it was first described, the okapi lives a mostly solitary existence, feeding strictly on the abundance of leaves and shoots available in the forest undergrowth.  The Ituri Forest (northeastern DRC) once held dense populations of okapi and a capture station was established by the Belgians in the town of Epulu during the country’s colonial period and okapi from the station were exported to zoos in Europe and the US. The Epulu Station now serves as the headquarters of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve (13,760 sq km) which is managed by the Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature with support from partners such as UNESCO, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Okapi Conservation Project.  The descendants of okapi from Epulu now live in zoos and serve as ambassadors for the species, generating significant support from zoos for okapi and wildlife conservation in the forests of the DR Congo.

White Oak Conservation Center (Florida) manages the world’s largest breeding program for okapi (currently 14 animals, with 38 calves born at the center) and works closely with zoos internationally to generate support for the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Ituri Forest, DR Congo.   Despite often dangerous conditions, caught between warring factions during years of civil unrest, White Oak Conservation Center has been a steadfast partner in the Congo since 1987, protecting the remaining okapi and their rainforest habitat.

The Okapi Conservation Project continues to maintain 13 okapi in captivity at the Epulu station in support of global okapi conservation activities. The Project staff procures and provides the daily foliage resources (35 species of plants) required to sustain these okapi, which are in excellent condition at the Epulu facility.  The behaviors and nutrition of these animals is also being documented by the okapi care team in Epulu.  The okapi in Epulu will be maintained as founder support for the international okapi conservation program, and as education ambassadors for the OWR, and in the Congo, as the stability of the country enables safe tourism in the region.