Incredible images show an okapi, also known as a zebra-thighed deer, a creature with a strange, fairy-tale appearance living at a zoo in Oklahoma City.
‘Deer hybrid zebra’ strange creature as if it came out of a fairy tale
Okapi is a native mammal living in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa.
Zoo staff say one of the resident okapi has a bold action called a ‘third eyelid’, pushing its eyes back and forth.
Okapi looks like a strange cross between a deer and a zebra. It can pull their eyes deep inside, which protects them from branches and vegetation when walking through the rainforest.
A group of experts has described a third eyelid called the papillary membrane, which, when blinking, causes the okapi’s bulging eyes to appear. The third eyelid can extend horizontally across the eyeball. “This membrane helps protect the eyes and keeps them clean and moist,” the expert said.
With a 25 cm long tongue, okapi can clean any part of the body, including the eyes.
Gareth Chamberlain, an okapi keeper at London Zoo, England, said: “There is no creature on this planet as special as the okapi. Not much is known about this species, people discovered the okapi in 1901. They reside in dense tropical forests, making them difficult to find and track. There is much more to learn about these special creatures.”
Dark, shiny fur helps okapi blend in with the dark environment of the Congo. It has many black and white stripes on its front and hind legs, making it difficult for predators like leopards to detect.
“They have huge ears, hear very well and can turn nearly 360 degrees, using their hearing to ensure their safety,” said Chamberlain.
Okapi are mainly active during the day, but can be active in the dark for several hours. They are basically solitary, coming together only to reproduce. The gestation period is about 440 to 450 days long, giving birth takes place in 3–4 hours, after which a single calf is born, weighing 14–30 kg.
However, this species is threatened due to habitat loss and hunting, leading to a decrease in the number of individuals. The Okapi Conservation Project, established in 1987, continues to work to conserve populations of this species.
