Dublin Zoo reveal birth of ‘rare and endangered’ okapi calf with adorable snaps as it marks important milestone
IT was a magical day at Dublin Zoo as they welcomed the birth of a “rare and endangered” animal.
Proud mother Lumara gave birth to a rare and endangered female okapi calf on the morning of Good Friday, April 25.
The zoo confirmed that the mother, aged 10, is caring for her calf beautifully and both are thriving.
Over the past three months, the soon-to-be-named young calf has been growing steadily and showing all the signs of good health – and the name of the calf will be revealed soon.
They stated that the birth marks an important milestone in the conservation of the okapi species, as she is only the third okapi calf ever born in Ireland.
Dalia and Leki, also offspring of parents Lumara and Kitabu, were previously born at Dublin Zoo.
Like the earlier calves, this year’s new female is settling into her home under the attentive care of her mother.
Infant okapis spend most of their time in their nest during the first few months of life.
Visitors may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the growing calf as she begins to explore her outdoor habitat in the coming weeks.
Helen Clarke, Team Leader at Dublin Zoo, expressed her excitement about the new arrival: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome our third okapi calf to Dublin Zoo.
“Each birth is a major step forward for the conservation of this endangered species.
“At the moment, the calf is nesting with her mother – typical behaviour for young okapis – but it won’t be long before she begins exploring the outdoor habitat alongside her.”
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She added: “The calf is thriving, and visitors exploring the African Plains area may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her in the coming days – and see just how much she has grown!”
Okapis are large, hoofed mammals closely related to the giraffe, they have a reddish-brown, velvety coat with distinctive black-and-white stripes on their hind legs.
They are herbivores, feeding on a diet of leaves, shoots, fruits, and fungi.
Much like its giraffe cousin, they have a long, dark tongue that helps them to pull leaves from branches.
To meet these dietary needs, the okapis at Dublin Zoo have various foliage, including rose leaves – a particular favourite.
For added enrichment, Dublin Zookeepers create “rose balls,” hanging baskets filled with rose leaves that encourage the okapis to use their long tongues to nibble at the nutritious treats.
Under the red list of threatened species, over 169,000 species were assessed, and 47,187 species were threatened by their environment.