Okapi Okapia johnstoni

The Okapi is a strange-looking, horse-sized animal with "deer ears" and horizontal white stripes on the rear and upper legs of its velvety chocolate coat.

The small horns (male) and incredibly long tongue give away its relationship to the Giraffe, despite its much shorter neck.

Like the Giraffe, the Okapi is native to Africa, to the Congo.

It can reach behind its own horns with its tongue! The long tongue helps it to reach and strip leaves from trees.

Okapis are forest-dwelling, solitary animals, meeting only to mate and, for the female, raise her young.