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Baby Okapi Emerges at Yorkshire Zoo
9 Mar
Summary
- Neo, an endangered okapi calf, made his public debut.
- The calf was born in December as part of a breeding program.
- Okapi are native to the Democratic Republic of Congo and are endangered.
A baby okapi, Neo, recently made his first public debut at Yorkshire Wildlife Park (YWP), near Doncaster. Neo was born in December and has now settled into his new enclosure.
YWP has been involved in a breeding program for the endangered okapi since 2023. Mother Ruby was sent to Chester Zoo in 2023 to breed with a male okapi named Stomp. She returned to YWP pregnant and gave birth to Neo.
Okapi, often called the "forest giraffe," are mammals native to the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are recognizable by their striped legs. The species is classified as endangered due to threats like poaching and deforestation.
Neo's birth is a positive development for okapi conservation. Ruby's first calf, Mzimu, born in 2021, is now part of the breeding program at ZSL London Zoo. The park expressed excitement over the new arrival and praised Ruby's maternal care.
