Yorkshire Wildlife Park’s first okapi birth marked a major landmark for its conservation programme, with okapis on the IUCN red list of threatened species.
Read on for sweet photographs of Mzimu and his mother Ruby, and more about this endangered species.
. Beautiful Mzimu
The okapi, often known as the forest giraffe, is under severe threat from poachers, logging, illegal mining and unrest in their native areas of the north eastern rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
. Protective
The two-month-old is still being kept indoors by his protective mum Ruby but he is healthy and providing a welcome addition to the endangered species’ ranks.
. Ruby and Mzimu
Ruby and Mzimu’s dad Nuru arrived at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in 2018 and are important members of the European Endangered Species Programme, with the birth of Mzimu hailed as a major advance for the species.
.
While okapi calves are very vulnerable in their first few months, little Mzimu appears to be thriving - and his progress so far has given a Christmas boost to the team’s Animal Team.
1. Protective
The two-month-old is still being kept indoors by his protective mum Ruby but he is healthy and providing a welcome addition to the endangered species’ ranks.
3. Ruby and Mzimu
Ruby and Mzimu’s dad Nuru arrived at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in 2018 and are important members of the European Endangered Species Programme, with the birth of Mzimu hailed as a major advance for the species.
4.
While okapi calves are very vulnerable in their first few months, little Mzimu appears to be thriving - and his progress so far has given a Christmas boost to the team’s Animal Team.