The World’s Most Mysterious Animal – The Okapi, Originating from Myths but Existing in Reality
In the vast world, there are no wonders left undiscovered. In the Congo, Africa, there lives a peculiar animal – the okapi (English name). It is an animal that originates from myths but exists in reality, and is listed as one of the world’s ten most mysterious animals. It wasn’t until 1901 that the okapi was discovered by European scientists, and is currently the largest land animal to be discovered by humans to date.
The okapi, also known as the African antelope, is native to the Congo and is a rare, African-exclusive animal. It has a peculiar appearance, with features of both a zebra and a giraffe, making it quite interesting to look at. It has a giraffe-like long neck, and its rear and legs are adorned with zebra-like stripes. It has a long tongue that it uses to clean its eyes and ears. The okapi is a relative of the giraffe, and vaguely resembles a zebra, but is actually a giraffe. Some scientists believe the okapi is an intermediate species in the transition from medium-sized herbivores to giraffes.
The okapi is only found in the Congo and lives in the depths of dense forests, rarely visited by humans. Because they are very ‘shy’ and tend to enter pairs, it is difficult to catch their shadows. The male antelope has two horns on its forehead, but when viewed from the side, it appears as if it has only one horn, like the legendary ‘unicorn.’ Therefore, until 1901, few people had ever seen its traces. Its half-deer, half-horse image was considered fabrication by many.
It wasn’t until 1901 that European scientists discovered the okapi in the Congo’s rainforests. Because the okapi is shy and elusive, the rare okapi is listed as one of the world’s ten most mysterious animals. Since 1995, due to poaching and habitat loss, the okapi population has decreased by at least 50%.
This rare, African-exclusive animal is rarely observed in the wild. It is estimated that there are approximately 4,000 to 6,000 okapi within the Congo protected area, while there are approximately 30,000 worldwide. Currently, it is listed as a ‘vulnerable’ species. Currently, the okapi’s shadows can be seen in some European zoos, this animal that is both like a giraffe and like a zebra, is only found in Tokyo, Japan’s Tokyo Zoo.
In December 2017, London’s zoo gave birth to an okapi baby. To welcome Prince Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding, the animal was named Meghan after the Duchess.
