Rare Baby Okapi Takes First Steps Into Outside World At Chester Zoo

For many of us, staying indoors and being unable to explore the outside world has been something forced upon us for the last year. But over winter, there was an exciting new arrival at Chester Zoo, and they have been able to explore the outdoors and explore the beautiful outdoors of Cheshire. A rare baby Okapi was born at the zoo on December 28th, 2020 and has spent her first few weeks of life snuggled up safely with her mother; she has now braved the elements of the outside world.

The okapi is also the only known living relative of the Giraffe and is the national symbol of the DRC, with the species protected under Congolese law. However, despite their protected status under the law, the species has suffered a 50 per cent decline in the past two decades by poachers actions towards their species. Therefore, the species is listed as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Nick Davis, Deputy Curator of Mammals at Chester Zoo, added: "These gentle creatures have been heavily targeted by poachers in recent years, mainly as a result of the illegal bushmeat trade, which is growing across nearly all of its natural range – making conservation efforts to protect these animals really difficult.