Okapi

The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is the only living relative of the giraffe, though its striped hindquarters and compact build make it look more like a forest-adapted horse. It lives exclusively in the dense tropical rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the Ituri Forest, where it browses on leaves, buds, grasses, and fungi using a long, dark prehensile tongue. Largely solitary and secretive, it plays a meaningful role in seed dispersal across the forest understory, and its presence is considered an indicator of intact, old-growth forest health.

The okapi is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with the population estimated to have declined by more than 50 percent over the past two decades. The primary threats are habitat loss driven by illegal logging and agricultural encroachment, intensified poaching for bushmeat and skin, and the persistent instability caused by armed conflict in eastern DRC. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering roughly 13,700 square kilometers, provides the species' most significant protected habitat, but ranger patrols and conservation infrastructure within the reserve have repeatedly been disrupted by militia activity.