Oka-pick me up! Rare newborn okapi takes first steps at San Antonio Zoo

« A newborm male okapi was captured taking his first steps while standing close to its parent in San Antonio Zoo, Texas, as seen on footage shared on Thursday.
On September 2nd, a baby okapi calf was born from first-time parents Ludimi and Epulu, currenly kept at the facilities, after a 14-month gestation period. The calf’s name will reportedly be chosen during the San Antonio Zoo’s annual fundraising event.
Referred to as the ‘African unicorns’, okapis are enigmatic and endangered members of the giraffe family. According to estimates from the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, there are only around 30,000 okapis remaining in the wild, primarily due to the threats of poaching and habitat destruction.
During their initial months, young okapi calves are exceptionally fragile, and are recognised as ‘threatened species’ on the The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. »



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