What is an okapi?

The okapi is a mammal belonging to the giraffe family. Also known as ‘forest giraffe’, it is native to the Ituri rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa. The okapi lives a secluded life and was not discovered until 1900 by explorer Sir Harry Johnson. It is shorter than the giraffe and has stripes on the legs, reminiscent of the zebra. Okapis are herbivores; the name is a portmanteau of two Lese words, oka – a verb meaning to cut, and kpi – a noun referring to the design made on arrows by wrapping the arrow with bark so as to leave stripes when scorched by fire.