5 New Most probable Future Holders of Okapi in Europe

Falconara Zoo in Italy has just received a couple of okapis (a great surprise for such a small zoo)
They have created a totally new exhibit.
Also Parco Natura Viva (Bussolengo, Verona) plans to receive a breeding couple over the next two years.

 

The male at Falconara is Azizi from Doue La Fontaine. His future mate is female, Elani from Wuppertal

Doue La Fontaine took delivery of female, Beni from Lisbon soon after Azizi left.

 

@Marco, whereas I agree IT IS somewhat of a surprise that Falconara received okapi, it has been working some time already with the Okapi project. What is all the more surprising is that the studbook keeper has allowed them to get a pair at short notice. Usually they start with pairs.

I agree that I would have expected PN in Bussolengo to get okapi sooner rather than later. One of the best kept secret zoos of Italia. It would fit with some species they already own like chimps.

Future projects (Falconara or PN)?

 

@Kifaru Bwana
I agree that the greater surprise is that Falconara has immediately been able to receive a breeding couple. I worked there for a carnivore research programme last month and I've studied the new exhibit for a long time: it's unduobtedly good and well built, but the zoo is really small (6 hectares) and it's weird to see a species like okapis in a similar zoo.

Parco Natura Viva in Bussolengo is the best italian zoo by far and I think it's one of the "runner up" among the european avant-garde zoos. I'm going to work there for my research next month, so I hope I receive some news about the future projects. I already know that next year they will receive gorillas (they are builiding a special exhibit for them) and probably great antetears; and they will receive a pair of okapi by 2020.

 

It would be very good if Vienna will has okapi. You can see okapi in Wroclaw closest to Budapest

 

Okapis were planned for Branféré in 2021 in a beatiful woodland area. Not sure it will be the case now with the covid-19 crisis. It could be delayed for one or two years.

 

Dvur Kralove is maybe closer? (but surely not much :/ )
ALso somwhere there I saw some speculation about Zlin, but that eas probably just a wish, not a plan

 

Poznan and or Wroclaw?

 

It was put on official documents for Karibuni area. Of course, as it is long term plans it could change in the future

 

great! but lets see what current crisis change about that...

 

Wroclaw have had them for nearly seven years now....

 

Karibuni still goes ahead as planned, Okapis are indeed part of it, but their exhibit is part of the last stage that is planned to be finished in 2030 earliest.