Okapi's

Okapi's
19-07-2007

There al already born 3 okapi's this year and there are 4 others pregnant.

Born in 2007 :

Steve (M) *23-01-'07 Stuttgart (Vitu + Kabinda)
Zukuma (M) *18-02-'07 Koln (Tiemen + Kisanga)
Stacy (F) *29-06-'07 Stuttgart (Vitu + Ibina)

26-07-2007

Look if you get sick of all those Okapis just send a few down under, I am sure we can find the space for them!.

26-07-2007

has australia ever held okapi's?

26-07-2007

Nope, and not likely to - no one has them on their collection plans.

27-07-2007

would that be because the zoo community dont want them, and prefer to concentrate on other more high priority species, or because of there scacity in captivity. also, do they have a more specialised diet than giraffe?

27-07-2007

The species is not remmended by the TAG, but I'm not sure why. Maybe any or all of: they take up too much space (we can't hold everything); difficult to obtain, difficult to import; not enough zoos wanted to hold them (therefore not enough to make a viable population here).

I've got no idea what they eat (other than leafy stuff!), but I bet a Google search would tell you

27-07-2007

i'de have a guess and say the answer is - there just isn't any to send here that haven't already been "dibbed"...

from what i have read there is a long list of european and american zoos, zoos from within regions with a program for this species, still waiting in line to even be given even a single animal for holding/display.

so essentially i'de say theres planty of zoos with priority over ours at the moment...

that said san diego zoos are usually quite generous with taronga...after all they gave us an indian rhino, bongo....

but we probably should never have given them koalas!! they bred so many that they essentially put our zoos out of business!!

27-07-2007

They're so beautiful everyone wants them!!! Mind you, they don't do a lot.

As Zoopro said, they eat 'leafy stuff' including fruit, vegetables and browse. They're normally kept relatively hay-free for health reasons. Nowadays they breed quite freely in the European and USA zoos that are lucky enough to have them and there's no trouble placing the offspring as there's still plenty of demand for any surplus.

I'm not sure how well they travel though as they are rather timid creatures rather more delicate and stress-prone generally than Giraffe.

28-07-2007

Chesterr Zoo were one of the last (if not the last) collection to obtain okapis for the forseeable future. If I remember, no new collection will be offered okapi for 5 years.

28-07-2007

Why is that? I could imagine many zoos that would like to have them, with them being so beautiful.

__________________
Jonathan Beilby-www.zooscene.co.uk

(Join the hornbill group-www.zoobeat.com/group.php?groupid=2)

28-07-2007

Because they are rare, and the zoo population is not growing much (the mortality seems to be pretty high), and for maximum breeding sucess, the EEP has set the rule that each holder should keep at least 2 pairs. The priority now is to increase the number of animals in those zoos who already keep them, not to increase the number of zoos who hold okapis.

Bondorob, I think Leipzig may have recieved an okapi after Chester - old male Dibaya who died after less then one yera. Now they have a young male from Rotterdam.

28-07-2007

You're probably right

28-07-2007

Thats very interesting. Can you tell us how you found that out?

Someone else posted that Woburn recently wanted Okapis but weren't successful? I imagine places like Edinburgh, Belfast and Paignton would be other Uk zoos which might want to exhibit them in the future.

28-07-2007

From one of the senior keepers. Apparently Chester were offered several okapis but didn't have (and still don't) room for them. I expect the new male which is due this summer to be housed at the rear of the giraffe house, where the first okapi was held. The young female seemed eager to breed last year, but she is not considered old enough yet. A promising sign though.

29-07-2007

Chester started in 2004.
Dvur Kralove Zoo, Lisbon Zoo and Beauval Zoo in 2005.