Okapis
(Okapia johnstoni) are small (only five
feet high), short-necked relatives of the giraffes with similar
skin-covered horns and a long black tongue. Their weight varies
from 465 to 550 pounds. They are cud-chewing mammals. Their coloring
is like plum, the sides of the neck reddish, the upper parts
of the legs are barred like a zebra. They live in the dense forests
of the Congo. Unknown until 1901, Okapis are still very rare
in zoos.
They use their long black tongue to strip
leaves from branches. Their diet consists of buds, tree shoots,
grass, ferns, fruit, and fungus.
Okapis are shy, nocturnal animals that
live alone or in pairs. In captivity, the female will come into
heat almost every 40 days. The young, generally just one, is
born after a gestation period of about 425 days. The young weighs
around 35 pounds at birth. The mother will nurse her young for
about three to four months.
The Okapis lifespan is about 33 years in
captivity.
Jeannie's Cottage carries two styles of
plush Okapis. One is from Wild Republic that was introduced in
2006. And the other is made by Aurora Plush. Check the Gift
Shop to see if there are any in stock.
