32K reactions · 5.6K shares | The beautiful and endangered okapi is...

95K views · 397 reactions | Okapis have prehensile tongues — meaning their tongues have adapted to grab and grip. These artiodactyl mammals utilize this ability to grab food, wash their eyelids, clean out their ears, and swat insects from their withers. #WildlifeWednesday 煉 | Science Channel | Facebook

Why are okapi so cool? They look like a mix between a zebra and a giraffe — but they’re actually the giraffe’s only living relative! With their striped legs and long purple tongues, okapi are perfectly adapted for life in the dense forests of the Congo. Sadly, these incredible animals are endangered due to habitat loss and poaching. Protecting them means supporting global conservation efforts that preserve their rainforest habitat and help stop illegal hunting. Let’s show the okapi some love! Vi

In the wild, okapi can only be found in the Ituri Rainforest in the Congo. They are famous for being the last large mammal discovered in Africa in the early 1900s. Stop by to see our okapi pair, Sukari and Kwame, next to our Asian elephant bachelor yard. Watch this week’s replay to learn more: bit.ly/2wHMYBw | Houston Zoo

Despite being the only living relative of the giraffe, the okapi was unknown to the Western world until the early 1900s. It lives deep in the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, making it incredibly difficult to spot in the wild. Its camouflage — dark body with zebra-like stripes on its legs — helps it blend into the shadows and dappled light of the forest. Because of its shy, solitary nature and remote habitat, even researchers and conservationists rarely see them in the wild