A rare okapi calf has been born at Rainforest Wild Adventure in Singapore, marking the first recorded birth of an okapi in Southeast Asia.
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calf → bear → Asia
The male calf was born on July 27 to first-time parents Kisala, 7, and Xandor, 4, at Mandai Wildlife Group’s wildlife park.
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calf → bear → park
The calf weighed about 20kg when it was first weighed a day after birth.
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it → weigh → birth
Nearly two months later, it has more than doubled its weight to 48kg.
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it → double → kg
The young okapi is being cared for with its mother in the Hidden Forest at Rainforest Wild Adventure East.
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okapi → care → East
Okapis are an endangered species and are rarely seen even in zoos.
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Okapis → see → zoos
Native only to the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the animals are listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
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animals → list → List
Habitat loss and poaching have contributed to a sharp decline in their wild population.
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loss → contribute → population
Despite its zebra-like striped legs and brown body, the okapi is actually the closest living relative of the giraffe.
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okapi → strip → giraffe
It shares several characteristics with giraffes, including a long, flexible tongue and bony, horn-like structures called ossicones on the head of males.
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It → share → males
The animal is sometimes described as a “forest giraffe” because it lives in dense tropical forests rather than the open grasslands associated with giraffes.
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it → describe → giraffes
Its striped hindquarters and legs are thought to provide camouflage in the forest undergrowth.
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hindquarters → think → undergrowth
Okapis are elusive, largely solitary animals that live in the forests of northeastern and central Democratic Republic of Congo.
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that → live → Congo
Their habitat provides dense vegetation in which they can browse for leaves, shoots and other plant material.
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they → provide → leaves
Why okapi calves are unusual
The Singapore calf has also been displaying a behaviour that may seem surprising to visitors.
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that → display → visitors
Instead of constantly following its mother, the young okapi spends much of its time hidden in its den, reports said.
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reports → follow → den
Okapi calves naturally remain concealed for much of their first few months, while their mothers leave them periodically to forage and return to nurse them.
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mothers → remain → them
This behaviour is believed to help protect the young from predators.
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behaviour → believe → predators
Okapis also have an unusually long pregnancy.
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Okapis → have → pregnancy
Gestation lasts around 14 to 15 months — roughly 440 days — and females generally give birth to a single calf.
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females → last → calf
Mandai said it prepared a quiet, secluded calving box for Kisala and her calf to allow them to follow this natural behaviour.
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them → say → behaviour
The calf has recently been given access to its outdoor habitat, although keepers said it is still taking time to become comfortable in the new surroundings.
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it → give → surroundings
A first for Southeast Asia
Kisala and Xandor arrived in Singapore under the EAZA Ex situ Programme, a coordinated breeding programme for threatened species.
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first → arrive → species
The programme works to maintain healthy populations of endangered animals under human care, including through managed breeding and the movement of animals between participating institutions.
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programme → work → institutions
Visitors to Rainforest Wild Adventure East can see Kisala and the calf in the Hidden Forest, although the youngster may retreat to its den.
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youngster → see → den
A live “baby monitor” also allows visitors to catch glimpses of the calf when it is inside.
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it → allow → calf
Mandai has invited the public to help choose the calf's name.
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Mandai → invite → name
The three options are Imara, meaning “strong” in Swahili; Mayaka, meaning “pearl” in Lingala; and Kiah, meaning “dawn”, “new beginnings” or “start of the season” in Swahili.
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options → mean → Swahili
The Aporia
