okapi
| okapi | ||||||||||||
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Okapi ( Okapia johnstoni ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Okapia | ||||||||||||
| Lankester , 1901 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Okapia johnstoni | ||||||||||||
| ( PL Sclater , 1901) |
The okapi ( Okapia johnstoni ), sometimes also called the forest giraffe , is an even- toed ungulate from the giraffe-like family . More closely related to the giraffes ( Giraffa ) than to other cloven-hoofed animals, it resembles more typical ungulates in its body proportions than the giraffes. It is characterized by its high-contrast coloring of red-brown, black and white as well as the comparatively long neck. The Okapi lives in the rainforests in Central Africa and is used by the IUCN classified as severely endangered ( endangered classified). As a very shy inhabitant of the rainforest , little research has been done so far. It was not described as one of the last large mammals until 1901.
features
Okapis reach an average length of 2.5 m, a shoulder height of 1.5 m and a weight of 200 to 300 kg (250 kg on average). Females are slightly larger than males. The males have two up to 15 cm long, hairy and blunt horns on the forehead. In the females these horns are only partially developed or completely absent. Anatomically, okapis are similar to the basic plan of the Giraffidae, for example they share the comparatively long neck and the long tongue with the giraffe.
The outer appearance of the okapi is unmistakable. The basic color is reddish-brown to almost black. In contrast, there are white cheeks, a white throat, the white lower parts of the legs and the white and black striped upper halves of the legs. The dark (blue) tongue, which can be extended up to 25 cm, can be used not only to eat food but also to cleanse the eyes, nostrils or the rest of the body.
distribution and habitat
The occurrence of the okapis is limited to equatorial rainforests in the north, center and east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . The main distribution area is the Ituri rainforest with the okapi game reserve located in it . In 2006, for the first time since 1959, okapi tracks were seen in the Virunga National Park , and in 2008 the first camera recordings of okapis living there were taken.
Okapis are generally not found below 500 m above sea level and are therefore absent in the swamp forests in the west of the country. In the east the distribution area is bounded by montane forest, in the north by savannah and in the south by open forests. Okapis are most common between 500 and 1000 m altitude, but in exceptional cases also up to 1450 m altitude. Okapis occur in densities of 0.1–1.2 (average 0.45) specimens per km².
Way of life
General
The okapi is primarily active during the day , occasionally it is also observed at night. The animals are solitary and have rarely been seen in pairs or in small groups. Males move in an action area of about 10 km² and cover about 4 km daily; Females and younger animals are less active and occupy smaller action areas. The males apparently mark their territories with urine, but more precise information on social behavior is not available.
nutrition
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Okapis look for food on well-worn, regularly used paths. They feed mainly on the leaves, buds and young shoots, which they tear off the branches with their long, graspable tongue. Monocotyledons , most common plants of the undergrowth and young plants of trees that form the rainforest canopy are avoided .
Reproduction and development
The reproduction of the okapi is not tied to any particular season. The female's oestrus usually lasts about 15 days. The males apparently find the females through olfactory stimuli. After a gestation period of 414–493 days, the female gives birth to a single young; at birth it has a shoulder height of 72–83 cm and weighs 14–30 kg. The young get up about half an hour after birth. After following the mother for 1-2 days, they look for a hiding place and stay there for the next two months. They are meanwhile little active, stay close to the hiding place and are suckled by the mother and defended with kicks. After about three weeks they can start eating solid food. They are usually weaned after six months and are fully grown by the age of three. Sexual maturity occurred in captive females from 1.5 years of age.
Natural enemies and life expectancy
The most important natural enemy of the okapi is the leopard ( Panthera pardus ). In human care, okapis usually live to be 15 to 20 years old; there is no knowledge of life expectancy from nature. The age record in zoological husbandry is 33 years.
Systematics
Together with the giraffe, the okapi is one of the two still living representatives of the giraffe-like (Giraffidae). So far, no subspecies have been distinguished.
Population, endangerment and conservation breeding
The population of wild okapis is estimated at 10,000 to 50,000 specimens. Reliable inventory figures are not available, so the actual number could be much lower. The populations studied are currently on the decline. The main occurrences of the okapi are largely concentrated in protected areas such as the okapi game reserve and Maiko National Park . In addition, some animals live in the north of the Virunga National Park. The IUCN now lists the okapi as endangered , as it only occurs in a very small area, is threatened by habitat destruction and has suffered severe population losses through illegal stalking. The okapi is hunted by the local population mainly for its meat and skin.
A European Conservation Breeding Program (EEP) has existed for the okapi since it was founded in 1985 within the framework of the European Zoo Association . In November 2010, 119 specimens were living in scientifically managed zoological gardens worldwide, 57 of them in Europe. EEP coordinator is Sander Hofman at Antwerp Zoo .
In July 2012, the Epulu okapi station in the Ituri rainforest was attacked and destroyed by rebels. Six people, mostly rangers, and 13 of the 14 okapis held there were killed and the station was destroyed by fire. The EEP coordinator Hofmann from Antwerp has asked all zoos that keep okapis for additional support in order to be able to rebuild the station.
Discovery story
The Old World and Central Africa may have come into contact with the species as early as the time of the Persian King Xerxes I. A frame of a frieze in Persepolis shows three Africans; the third carries an animal that appears to be an okapi.
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For thousands of years the agricultural Bantu and Mbuti used the okapi as an additional food. For the western world, the okapi was discovered in the transition from the 19th to the 20th century by Henry Hamilton Johnston (1858–1927), the explorer, diplomat and advocate of British colonial interests in Africa, which is also indicated by the name “johnstoni”. From the travelogues In darkest Africa by the African explorer Henry Morton Stanley, published in 1890, Johnston learned of an animal that the local wambutti, a pygmy tribe, called atti . This was supposed to resemble a donkey and live in the forests of the Congo Basin , where it fed on leaves. He himself thought the animal was a zebra, but was amazed at the unusual way of life. After his transfer to Entebbe in what is now Uganda , Johnston met a group of captured pygmies who confirmed the animal's existence. They referred to it as o ', api ("Okapi") and described it as dark on the body with striped legs. Thereupon Johnston brought about the release of the locals and, as soon as his time allowed, traveled with them to the Congo Free State , then a Belgian colony. In Mbeni am Semliki he asked the Belgian colonial authorities about the okapi, who also knew it. However, they had never seen one alive but had for the remains of two, partially Bandelieren processed leg fur strips. They handed the remains of the skin to Johnston, who immediately sent them to London. There they were sent to Philip Lutley Sclater for scientific assessment. Sclater published the first scientific description of the okapi in 1901 , using the name Equus johnstoni , trusting Johnston's information, thus referring the okapi to the horses. Meanwhile, Johnston traveled on with the freed pygmies in the Semliki Forest to sight a live okapi, but was unsuccessful. The Belgian colonial authorities offered Johnston to send him a full hide as soon as possible. This was ultimately made possible by a Swedish officer in the Belgian service who, in addition to a complete coat, also presented two skulls. On the basis of this, Johnston then recognized that it is not a zebra, but a relative of the giraffes. Due to the small horns, he suspected a closer relationship to the extinct Helladotherium . Sent to London, Edwin Ray Lankester later examined the remains there. He published his new findings in 1901 and referred the okapi to the genus Okapia, which he had newly established . The following year, Lankester submitted an extensive description of the okapi.
Others
The okapi is the symbol of the German Society for Mammal Studies .
literature
- Chris Lavers : The unicorn. Nature, myth, history . Darmstadt 2010
Web links
- Okapia johnstoni in the endangered species Red List of IUCN 2013. Submitted By: Mallon, D., Kümpel, N., Quinn, A., Shurter, S., Lukas, J., Hart, J. & Mapilanga, J., 2013.
- Okapia johnstoni (Mammalian Species No. 422) (PDF file; 948 kB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i R. E. Bodmer & GD Rabb (1992): Okapia johnstoni . Mammalian Species 422, pp. 1-8
- ↑ The Okapi Conservation Project ( Memento of the original from December 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Rare Okapi Sighted in Eastern Congo Park WWF, June 8, 2006
- ^ Photo Reveals Rare Okapi Survives Poaching Onslaught , newswise.com, Sep 10, 2008
- ↑ a b Okapia johnstoni in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Antelope Specialist Group, 2008. Accessed February 27 2011th
- ↑ wwf.de (PDF)
- ↑ EAZA Complete List of EEPs and ESBs
- ^ Okapi station in the Congo needs support , Association of German Zooförderer e. V.
- ↑ Lavers, p. 150f
- ↑ Lavers, p. 149
- ↑ Lavers, p. 134
- ^ Henry Morton Stanley: In darkest Africa. Volume II. New York, 1890, pp. 1–540 (p. 490) ( [1] )
- ^ Harry Hamilton Johnston: On a new horse. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1900, pp. 774-775 ( [2] )
- ↑ a b Harry Hamilton Johnston: The Okapi. In: CJ Corner, FC Selous, H. Johnston, CH Lane, L. Wain, WP Pycraft, HA Byden, FG Aflalo and W. Saville-Kent (eds.): The living animals of the world. London, 1901, pp. 267–270 ( [3] )
- ^ Philip Lutley Sclater: On an apparently new Zebra from the Semliki forest. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1901, pp. 50–52 ( [4] )
- ^ E. Ray Lankester: Two skulls and the skin of the new mammal, the Okapi, discovered by Sir Harry Johnston. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1901, pp. 279–281 ( [5] )
- ^ E. Ray Lankester: On Okapia, a new genus of Giraffidae, from Central Africa. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1901, pp. 472-474 ( [6] )
- ^ E. Ray Lankester: On Okapia, a new genus of Giraffidae, from Central Africa. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London 1902/1903, pp. 279-314 ( [7] )
- ↑ German Society for Mammalian Science, e. V. (DGS; German Society for Mammalian Biology). March 7, 2016, accessed March 12, 2016 .
