‘Spunky’ Endangered Okapi Calf Born at San Diego Zoo: Watch

The San Diego Zoo just welcomed a special new addition: a rare okapi calf!

“The San Diego Zoo wildlife care team welcomed a spunky new okapi calf on September 2nd,” the zoo shared in an Instagram post on Sept. 9.

The zoo added, “Born to mom Subira and first-time dad Kapu, this precious gal is the first okapi born at the Zoo since 2021, and the first calf to be born right on habitat. Guests can see this sweet little one exploring the big new world around her when visiting the Lost Forest.”

In a press release obtained by NBC San Diego, reps from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance explained that the new calf was able to be born outside in its enclosure due to the warm time of year.

“Okapi calves do not thermoregulate well, so previous calves born at the Zoo in the winter remained in behind-the-scenes areas until they were a few months old,” the SDZWA stated.

This also means that zoo visitors are already able to glimpse the new addition.

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Okapi, known as “forest giraffes,” are native to the Ituri Rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo — which is the only place they can currently be found in the wild, per National Geographic. 

They are herbivores that grow to approximately 8 feet in length and 5 feet in height, and weigh between 440 and 660 lbs. They are also known for their thick, oily fur that stays dry in the rain.

Okapi are currently classified as “endangered.” It is not known how many okapi exist in the wild at this time, but conservationists say their population may have been reduced by as much as half in the past two decades. They attribute the loss to poachers, who hunt the animals for their fur and skin, as well as deforestation of their natural habitat.

Okapi live about 30 years in captivity, per National Geographic.