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| okapi [2023/10/29 13:26] – [V. OKAPI CONSERVATION AND CAPTIVITY] zookeeper | okapi [2024/02/04 10:31] (current) – zookeeper |
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| ===== I. THE DISCOVERY OF THE OKAPI ===== | ===== I. THE DISCOVERY OF THE OKAPI ===== |
| Although native pygmies have known about the Okapi for thousand of years, trapping, skinning, and eating them – the animal was largely unknown to Western science until the turn of the 20th century, aside from the oral accounts of some explorers who had visited the Congo for themselves. They described the animal as being donkey-like in appearance, with stripes on its rear-end. And one man who had heard about this mysterious animal was Harry Johnston, who would go on to become a pioneering Colonial Administrator. | Although native Indigenous peoples have known about the Okapi for thousand of years, trapping, skinning, and eating them – the animal was largely unknown to Western science until the turn of the 20th century, aside from the oral accounts of some explorers who had visited the Congo for themselves. They described the animal as being donkey-like in appearance, with stripes on its rear-end. And one man who had heard about this mysterious animal was Harry Johnston, who would go on to become a pioneering Colonial Administrator. |
| {{ :johnston.png?200&nolink|}} The animal was described to have horns – piquing Johnston’s interest – leading him to wonder if it could be the Unicorn of Greek mythology, or maybe the ancient Hipparion; a primitive relative of the horse’s ancestors. On his first trip to Congo he became ill with malaria – at this point he had just two pieces of rear-hide. Later on he would obtain an entire hide and two skulls; and found that the animal was even-hooved, and not odd-hooved as he initially thought. He would catch sight of the animal in 1901; bringing much media attention. Johnston is remembered also for publishing forty books on African subjects – some of which he released himself for reinstation in their native Congo. | {{ :johnston.png?200&nolink|}} The animal was described to have horns – piquing Johnston’s interest – leading him to wonder if it could be the Unicorn of Greek mythology, or maybe the ancient Hipparion; a primitive relative of the horse’s ancestors. On his first trip to Congo he became ill with malaria – at this point he had just two pieces of rear-hide. Later on he would obtain an entire hide and two skulls; and found that the animal was even-hooved, and not odd-hooved as he initially thought. He would catch sight of the animal in 1901; bringing much media attention. Johnston is remembered also for publishing forty books on African subjects – some of which he released himself for reinstation in their native Congo. |
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| ===== V. OKAPI CONSERVATION AND CAPTIVITY ===== | ===== V. OKAPI CONSERVATION AND CAPTIVITY ===== |
| The native tribes of the Congo continue to treat the okapi as an animal of significant importance culturally. Though, even after more than 100 years since its discovery, Western science is still largely elucidated by the animal, with many details of its natural life remaining partially, or fully unknown. The Okapi Conservation Project was established in 1987, with the Okapi Wildlife Reserve established in 1992. With 2.5 okapis per square kilometre on-site, it is a place of utmost scientific importance for the prolonged research into the biology of not only the okapi, but the other species with live on-site – 15% of which are endemic, having the highest variety of mammals of any park in Africa. In 1996 it was given protection as a United Nations World Heritage Site, encompassing not only the okapi but also being the cultural capital for the Mbuti and Efe tribes. In 1998 civil unrest saw the reserve in danger – and in 2008 it was found that since the founding of the site some 2000 animals had been lost. The year after, the population was estimated to be between 10,000 and 35,000 animals. The decline at the turn of the century was signified by the re-assession taken out by the IUCN of status of the okapi’s wild population - since it was first assessed as ‘Lower Risk’ [now ‘Least Concern’] in 1996 – and later as ‘Near Threatened’ in 2008 – and so in 2013 it became assessed as Endangered – which was given credence by another assessment that took place in 2015. At current, no reliable estimates for the wild okapi population exist; though a significant decline took place until the early 21st century, which coincided with the end of a decade-long civil war. One notorious incident took place in 2012 at the Okapi Conservation Project’s headquarters, which led to the gunned murder of six people and 13 of the 14 captive ‘ambassador’ okapi held on site – with the fourteenth animal’s death from injuries occurring not long afterwards. In addition to hunting which still takes place, the destruction of the animal’s natural habitat is also a subject of conservation concern – a species which often avoids human settlement, it disappears with the destruction of forest also. Forest is destroyed for the expansion of housing and farmland, and for timber – and also for the illegal mining of precious metals – such as gold and coltan [a natural mixture of cobalt and tantalum], which are often used in electronic appliances such as mobile phones. | The native tribes of the Congo continue to treat the okapi as an animal of significant importance culturally. Though, even after more than 100 years since its discovery, Western science is still largely elucidated by the animal, with many details of its natural life remaining partially, or fully unknown. The Okapi Conservation Project was established in 1987, with the Okapi Wildlife Reserve established in 1992. With 2.5 okapis per square kilometre on-site, it is a place of utmost scientific importance for the prolonged research into the biology of not only the okapi, but the other species with live on-site – 15% of which are endemic, having the highest variety of mammals of any park in Africa. In 1996 it was given protection as a United Nations World Heritage Site, encompassing not only the okapi but also being the cultural capital for the Mbuti and Efe tribes. In 1998 civil unrest saw the reserve in danger – and in 2008 it was found that since the founding of the site some 2000 animals had been lost. The year after, the population was estimated to be between 10,000 and 35,000 animals. The decline at the turn of the century was signified by the re-assession taken out by the IUCN of status of the okapi’s wild population - since it was first assessed as ‘Lower Risk’ [now ‘Least Concern’] in 1996 – and later as ‘Near Threatened’ in 2008 – and so in 2013 it became assessed as Endangered – which was given credence by another assessment that took place in 2015. At current, no reliable estimates for the wild okapi population exist; though a significant decline took place until the early 21st century, which coincided with the end of a decade-long civil war. One notorious incident took place in 2012 at the Okapi Conservation Project’s headquarters, which led to the gunned murder of six people and 13 of the 14 captive ‘ambassador’ okapi held on site – with the fourteenth animal’s death from injuries occurring not long afterwards. In addition to hunting which still takes place, the destruction of the animal’s natural habitat is also a subject of conservation concern – a species which often avoids human settlement, it disappears with the destruction of forest also. Forest is destroyed for the expansion of housing and farmland, and for timber – and also for the illegal mining of precious metals – such as gold and coltan [a natural mixture of niobium [formerly called: //col//umbium] and tantalum], which are often used in electronic appliances such as mobile phones. Diamonds are also mined in these areas. |
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| The first okapis to be exhibited in captivity arrived to the Antwerp Zoo in Belgium in the year 1919. Virtually nothing was known about the advanced biology of the okapi at the time – so perhaps unexpectedly, several okapis that were brought in early seemed to live 15 years – a lifespan not unlike what is achieved in modern zoos today. They bred readily in captivity, but until 1950s half of the offspring born died within a month. Bristol Zoo at Clifton brought in the UK’s first okapi in 1961 – and the institution went on to establish a program at the Hollywood Tower estate off-display – to found a breeding programme and also to provide exhibit animals for the Zoo, though only a few lived at the zoo on display. London Zoo went on to receive their okapi in 1979, and Marwell in 1984 – which proved itself as a global place of importance for okapi research and breeding. Difficult to breed, a fairly large handful of major zoos in Europe hold okapi today, as do a similar in the United States of America. The okapi is the national animal of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is also a flagstone species for the Ituri Forest – lending its likeness to represent not only itself but also the various other species of animal and plant that live there, many endemic. | The first okapis to be exhibited in captivity arrived to the Antwerp Zoo in Belgium in the year 1919. Virtually nothing was known about the advanced biology of the okapi at the time – so perhaps unexpectedly, several okapis that were brought in early seemed to live 15 years – a lifespan not unlike what is achieved in modern zoos today. They bred readily in captivity, but until 1950s half of the offspring born died within a month. Bristol Zoo at Clifton brought in the UK’s first okapi in 1961 – and the institution went on to establish a program at the Hollywood Tower estate off-display – to found a breeding programme and also to provide exhibit animals for the Zoo, though only a few lived at the zoo on display. London Zoo went on to receive their okapi in 1979, and Marwell in 1984 – which proved itself as a global place of importance for okapi research and breeding. Difficult to breed, a fairly large handful of major zoos in Europe hold okapi today, as do a similar in the United States of America. The okapi is the national animal of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and is also a flagstone species for the Ituri Forest – lending its likeness to represent not only itself but also the various other species of animal and plant that live there, many endemic. |
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