Okapi Hero

Okapi illustration by Sir Harry Johnston, 1901 (credit: public domain)

The Okapi is one of Africa's rarest animals. A relative of the giraffe, it was only scientifically recognized in 1901. The hoofed animal remains endemic is unique to the rainforests in the Republic of the Congo. The okapi is classified as threatened and endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature on IUCN's Red List.

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve and Maiko National Park support populations but a steady decline is due to human threats including deforestation, the bushmeat trade, and civil conflicts. Tropical botanist Corneille Ewango, a recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize, presents his efforts at the reserve to protect the okapi from such threats and to insure its survival. he is indeed a wildlife hero. WHB

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