Rare okapi calf born in Rotterdam zoo
On the 21st of November, an Okapi gave birth at Rotterdam's Blijdorp Zoo. This is the third calf for M'buti, who has been reported healthy along with her young. The zoo has not yet released the name or gender of the calf.
Okapis are native to the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They appear on the Red List of Threatened Species due to poaching, logging, and political instability. "Scientists estimate that populations may have been slashed in half over the past two decades," according to National Geographic.
The Blijdorp Zoo has played an important role in okapi conservation. The zoo received two okapis in 1957 and the first calf was born there three years later.
Blijdorp unveiled a new okapi enclosure in 2015. Three adult females, one adult male, and the newborn calf live in the enclosure, along with various bird species and plants from their natural habitat.
People hoping to view the calf can visit the nursery virtually via webcam.
