The Okapi (Okapia johnstoni; pronounced /oʊˈkÉ‘ËÂpɪ/) is a giraffid artiodactyl mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in central Africa. Although the Okapi bears striped markings reminiscent of the zebra, it is most closely related to the giraffe. Unknown to Europeans until 1901, today there are approximately 10,000 - 20,000 in the wild and only 40 different worldwide institutions display them.
