Okapi in North America

As of July 2007 there are 83 Okapi in the US and 9 in Japan (their Okapi fall under the SSP). The first US Okapi named Congo arrived at the Bronx Zoo in 1937. The National Zoo (Washington, DC), Saint Louis, Dallas, San Diego, Ringling Bros Circus, Colorado Springs, and Brookfield all received wild-caught animals over the years. The first birth occured in 1959 at the Brookfield Zoo, followed by another at the Bronx a few months later. For years, the US population hover at 20-25 individuals until the late 1980s/early 1990s when 2.2 okapi were imported by Cincinnati and White Oak Conservation Center. Since then the population exploded and Okapi can be seen at 22 facilites in the US and 2 in Japan. Last year 2.0 Okapi were exported to the Pretoria Zoo from SDWAP.

 

Very interesting information Okapikpr,I hope the SSP can lift their number even more, If another 2.2 animals could be imported in the furture (captive bred Congo) it could lift ther numbers in US zoos to even greater heights

 

Australian zoos would be happy to take some off your hands.

 

if they were allowed.

how many founders did the US okapi population have. and did the two pairs that were imported in by san diego and white oak come from the wild or europe?

 

There are 25 founders of the Okapi SSP population. This was bottlenecked down to 13 effective founders. 4 founders in the EEP are not represented in the SSP and 3 SSP founders are not represented in the EEP. Cincinnati imported a wild-caught female, Asengu, in 1986. Mateso, a wild-caught female, was imported by White Oak in 1988 and sent to San Diego. White Oak could not hold Mateso until their PPEQ (Permenant Post-Entry Quarantine) Facility was built in 1991 when White Oak imported two Epulu born males, Romakari & Mujinga. Mateso arrived at White Oak in 1992, pregnant.

 

Are the okapis at Animal Kingdom of breeding stock?

They exhibit them in 2 different exhibits, one is the very beginning of the safari where they are kept with small gazelles and also waterbuck I believe, and also as part of the walking safari in a more open exhibit.

Which of these is the breeding enclosures and have any calves being produced there?

 

DAK is a breeding facility and four calves have been born there - 2 in 2006. Their breeder male is of White Oak stock. There is no distinctive "breeding" pen. Most breeding/introductions of Okapi usually take place in corrals or offexhibit pens - someplace a little more private and capable of easy hands-off management.

And Im pretty sure the females are exhibited with Yellow-backed Duiker. (the male likes to stomp on the duikers, so they aren't put with him)

They have plans to relocate their non-breeding okapi at DAK Lodge when the new vacation club expansion is completed at the resort.

 

Has the male okapis killed any of the duikers?

Do you think they would make an appealing exhibit at the lodge? I thought it was designed to be a touristy attraction where guests can get up close to the animals, but seeing as okapis are so shy would fit the image of th elodge?

 

The lodge is expanding to include more inclusive accomodations and will include a "nature trail". I assume this is where the okapi will be located and thus make a good exhibit, they wouldnt do well on those open savannahs. As for the okapi/duiker thing, I only know that the duiker was stomped - it would be difficult (or very lucky) to survive that.

 

Check out this US Okapi website it has lots of info on okapi in captivity and a whole resource of okapi articles. Not to mention a complete okapi studbook current to Jan 2007.

Okapi management site

 

@okapikpr: awesome okapi website!! It is extremely informative, and there are loads of great photos.

 

The Most Okapis

The most Okapis I've ever seen was at the Antwerp Zoo in Belgium. At the time, they had two babies. It seemed appropriate to me that they would have a lot there, as they were discovered at the BELGIAN Congo.

 

I see 14 okapi almost everyday at White Oak...I hope to see 15 soon.

 

Okapi Birth at SDWAP

Zuri , a male calf, born June 17th at the San Diego Wild Animal Park to dam Makini and most likely sire Kenda.

Imperial Valley News - Velvet Baby Debut - San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park

Most importantly, the calf's name breaks the zoo/park's long standing tradition of naming the calf using the first letter of its dam's name. From my records this has only occured only a few time before at the zoo, these calves were all sire by an EEP import Gerard. The calf's dam is one of these mentioned okapi whose naming broke from tradition. San Diego's traditional has left quite an impact on the studbook, filling it with an arsenal of "K" named Okapi.

 

Update

For the past year or so, the US Okapi populations has seen its share of births and deaths:

BIRTHS
Imba M 15.01.2007 Masombi x Imara Escondido, CA
Sukari F 10.07.2007 Biscotti x Safarani San Diego, CA
Kiloro M 03.08.2007 Nanoki x Siri Yulee, FL
Kibongi F 17.11.2007 Jekaro x Lindi Denver, CO
Zuri M 16.06.2008 Kenda x Makini Escondido, CA

DEATHS
Tano.....M Peace River, FL
Kuamba..F Bronx, NY
Sefini.....F Columbus, OH
Kasai.....F Escondido, CA
Sungura.M Cincinnati, OH
Makuti...M Oklahoma City, OK
Amadi....M Denver, CO
Lindi......F Denver, CO
Kibongi...M Denver, CO
Makubasi.M Saint Louis, MO

PREGNANT
Kweli......Bronx, NY.......sire Poucet.....due winter 2009
Semliki....Brookfield, IL...sire Ulimi
Lisala Li..Cincinnati, OH..sire Sungura
Miliki......Columbus, OH...sire El Jawar.....due fall 2008
Elphie.....Yulee, FL.........sire Romakari....due anyday now
Kutoa.....Yulee, FL.........sire Mujinga......due winter 2009

 

What do you think the overall numbers are now in the US?

 

There are 34.43 in the SSP population (including Japan). Without Japan, there are 69 in the US.

 

This website is great. I love browsing the studbook, I wish that all the species could be on the web like this.

 

New Okapi Birth

I had an Okapi born August 22nd during Tropical Storm Fay. Many pregnant animals (and humans) give birth in these tropical storms/hurricanes due to the drop in barometric pressure. The calf is nursing and getting much attention from its first time mother.

 

Great news Okapikpr