An incredibly rare (and adorable!) female okapi calf has been born at Chester Zoo. Her keepers have named her Nia Nia. The baby’s first wobbly steps were captured on the zoo’s CCTV cameras shortly after birth, and now she has stepped outside for the very first time after spending the first few weeks of life in a nest.
The zoo celebrates this new ‘lockdown’ birth with conservationists, as okapis are so uncommon in the wild that they have been called the “African unicorn” due to their shy nature – the animals were not discovered by science until 1901.
Okapi Nia Nia & Mom, born at Chester Zoo
All ears and long, spindly legs– conservationists celebrate the birth of endangered okapi”
“Keepers at Chester Zoo have described a rare new okapi calf, born to seven-year-old mum K’tusha, as “all ears and long, spindly legs!”
The okapi, nicknamed the ‘African unicorn’ due to their shy and elusive nature, was only discovered by science in 1901 and is the only known living relative of the giraffe. Zoo experts are working in Africa to help assess and monitor key populations of this elusive rainforest giraffe. Baby’s adorable first wobbly steps caught on the zoo’s CCTV cameras shortly after birth.
Zoo experts are working in Africa to help assess and monitor key populations of this elusive rainforest giraffe and conservationists say the new arrival is a ‘vital’ boost to the endangered species breeding programme.
Visit Chester Zoo www.chesterzoo.org
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