Seven months after okapi Lindi, okapi Zaire gave beginning to a brand new okapi on 7 October within the Moorish temple of Antwerp ZOO. The caretakers watched and noticed the animal being born reside. It’s her first younger and every part went properly. Additionally it is his first offspring for sire Ubundu. Antwerp ZOO is the worldwide okapi knowledgeable and matchmaker for brand spanking new flocks in zoos and displays the welfare and survival of those particular, endangered animals. This beginning is once more incredible information!
After a gestation interval of 14 months, okapi Zaire gave beginning within the late night of October 7. Within the run-up to the beginning, the caregivers took turns monitoring the webcam within the supply room. Your complete group was in a position to expertise the beginning reside from residence at 10.15 pm. “Mama Zaire licked the calf fully dry. After 2 hours it stood up and we noticed it ingesting,” says caregiver Nicky.
Caregiver Carina was the primary to see it in individual the subsequent morning. “It’s a good one with a top of 72 cm on the withers. Its weight of 17.5 kg is totally in proportion to its measurement. It’s a lovely animal with giant floppy ears and the everyday okapi striped poo. It is a male and mommy Zaire takes excellent care of it.”
Like all different animals born this 12 months at Antwerp ZOO, the infant was given a reputation beginning with an X. The keepers selected the identify Xambo. His pores and skin is oily to repel water, identical to a raincoat, as a result of it rains loads within the Ituri Forest in Congo. The hairs are brief and lie properly over one another. Its giant ears give it good listening to within the dense forest. Together with his lengthy greedy tongue, he even hits proper into his eyes. Very unusual, however just like the earlier new child Xandor, Xambo has a pink tongue. Usually okapis have a protracted tongue of 35 centimeters in a blue-gray colour. “Two pink soles in a row, that is actually distinctive”, says coordinator Patrick, who has been working with okapis within the ZOO for greater than 32 years. Xambo stays good and heat within the steady. Solely after a month
Do you know that small okapis solely do their massive errands after 4 to eight weeks? But they’ve been ingesting milk fortunately all this time. A further benefit: manure smells and that odor attracts predators to the weak younger animal. With out stench extra likelihood of survival. Okapis are ruminants with an advanced digestive and intestinal system and primarily eat leaves. However first, they take pleasure in nutritious breast milk for six months. As soon as mature, males develop two horns on their heads which can be 10 to fifteen cm lengthy. They’re growths of their cranium which can be coated with pores and skin.