An okapi calf has been born at Antwerp Zoo. This is important for the zoo, as it maintains the global studbook for this critically endangered species. The calf is doing well following a smooth birth, the zoo reports. “He was soon cautiously standing on his striped legs.”
The okapi is a star attraction at Antwerp Zoo, and has been since 1919, when the zoo made world history by displaying the giraffe-like animal to the public for the first time. The new calf is the third offspring of Zaïre and Ubundu. In addition to that family, there are two other okapis living at the zoo.
“We watched via the webcam and saw that Zaïre immediately licked her calf dry. It’s a male, and he’s drinking from his mother greedily,” says keeper Isabel.
With a shoulder height of 81.5 cm and a weight of 21.5 kg, the newborn approaches the okapi average. “Just like the okapis Xambo and Xandor, this little critter also has an exceptionally pink tongue, whereas okapis are normally born with a long gray tongue.”
Antwerp Zoo manages the global okapi studbook and coordinates the European breeding programme. “The zoo plays an important role in species conservation, and this birth takes that role to the next level,” the zoo says.
"Okapis are rare and endangered in the wild. That’s why every birth is particularly valuable. Zaïre and Ubundu’s calf contributes to the genetically healthy population we’re trying to preserve worldwide,” explains curator Sander Hofman.
The okapi is found exclusively in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the former Zaire. Their habitat is under pressure from deforestation, mining, and poaching. That is why Antwerp Zoo, through its Antwerp Zoo Foundation, is strongly committed to nature conservation in Africa. “By protecting okapis, we are simultaneously protecting a whole range of other animals and plants,” says Sander.
Bikenge, Bayo, or Bodhi?
The new okapi doesn’t have a name yet. Everyone can help choose the name via Antwerp Zoo’s Instagram page.
In 2026, all names of newborns will start with the letter B. A search is also underway for a name for two newborn mountain bongos. The contenders for the okapi are three African names: Bikenge (a village in Africa), Bayo (meaning “to find happiness” or “beginning of joy”), and Bodhi (new life, new beginning).