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The Irish Sun

Dublin Zoo reveal birth of ‘rare and endangered' Okapi Calf with adorable snaps as it marks important milestone

IT was a magical day at Dublin Zoo as they welcomed the birth of a "rare and endangered" animal. Proud mother Lumara gave birth to a rare and endangered female okapi calf on the morning of Good Friday, April 25. Advertisement 4 Dublin Zoo announced the birth of a baby animal at their sanctuary Credit: Getty 4 The endangered okapi calf was born on Good Friday, April 25 Credit: Patrick Bolger Photography 4 She is only the third okapi calf ever born in Ireland Credit: Patrick Bolger Photography The zoo confirmed that the mother, aged 10, is caring for her Over the past three months, the soon-to-be-named young calf has been growing steadily and showing all the signs of good They stated that the birth marks an important milestone in the conservation of the okapi species, as she is only the third okapi calf ever born in Dalia and Leki, also offspring of parents Lumara and Kitabu, were previously born at Advertisement READ MORE ON DUBLIN ZOO Like the earlier calves, this year's new female is settling into her home under the attentive care of her mother. Infant okapis spend most of their time in their nest during the first few months of life. Visitors may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the growing calf as she begins to explore her outdoor habitat in the coming weeks. Helen Clarke, Team Leader at Dublin Advertisement Most read in Irish News Latest "Each birth is a major step forward for the conservation of this endangered species. "At the moment, the calf is nesting with her mother - typical behaviour for young okapis - but it won't be long before she begins exploring the outdoor habitat alongside her." 'Bittersweet day' as Dublin Zoo's 'vulnerable' baby orangutan rehomed at new sanctuary She added: "The calf is thriving, and visitors exploring the Okapis are large, hoofed mammals closely related to the giraffe, they have a reddish-brown, velvety coat with distinctive black-and-white stripes on their hind legs. Advertisement They are herbivores, feeding on a Much like its giraffe cousin, they have a long, dark tongue that helps them to pull leaves from branches. To meet these dietary needs, the okapis at Dublin Zoo have various foliage, including rose leaves - a particular favourite. For added enrichment, Dublin Zookeepers create 'rose balls,' hanging baskets filled with rose leaves that encourage the okapis to use their long tongues to nibble at the nutritious treats. Advertisement ENDANGERED SPECIES The okapi is listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature under the Red List of Threatened Species due to habitat loss, hunting, deforestation and civil unrest. Experts estimate that the population have dropped dramatically over the past two decades, with the current population estimates ranging between 15,000 and 50,000 in the wild. The population trends are reported to still be decreasing and action recovery plan is in effect for the affected region. Their natural habitat is the dense forests of the Advertisement Under the red list of threatened species, over 169,000 species were assessed, and 47,187 species were threatened by their environment. 4 The calf is currently nesting with her mother Credit: Patrick Bolger Photography