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Seven months after okapi Lindi, okapi Zaire gave beginning to a brand new okapi on 7 October within the Moorish temple of Antwerp ZOO. The caretakers watched and noticed the animal being born reside. It’s her first younger and every little thing went properly. Additionally it is his first offspring for sire Ubundu. Antwerp ZOO is the worldwide okapi professional and matchmaker for brand new flocks in zoos and screens the welfare and survival of those particular, endangered animals. This beginning is once more incredible information!
After a gestation interval of 14 months, okapi Zaire gave beginning within the late night of October 7. Within the run-up to the beginning, the caregivers took turns monitoring the webcam within the supply room. The complete crew was capable of expertise the beginning reside from dwelling at 10.15 pm. “Mama Zaire licked the calf utterly dry. After 2 hours it stood up and we noticed it consuming,” says caregiver Nicky.
Caregiver Carina was the primary to see it in particular person the subsequent morning. “It’s a good one with a peak of 72 cm on the withers. Its weight of 17.5 kg is totally in proportion to its measurement. It’s a lovely animal with massive floppy ears and the everyday okapi striped poo. It is a male and mommy Zaire takes excellent care of it.”
Like all different animals born this yr at Antwerp ZOO, the toddler was given a reputation beginning with an X. The keepers selected the identify Xambo. His pores and skin is oily to repel water, similar to a raincoat, as a result of it rains loads within the Ituri Forest in Congo. The hairs are brief and lie properly over one another. Its massive ears give it good listening to within the dense forest. Together with his lengthy greedy tongue, he even hits proper into his eyes. Very unusual, however just like the earlier new child Xandor, Xambo has a pink tongue. Usually okapis have an extended tongue of 35 centimeters in a blue-gray colour. “Two pink soles in a row, that is actually distinctive”, says coordinator Patrick, who has been working with okapis within the ZOO for greater than 32 years. Xambo stays good and heat within the secure. Solely after a month
Do you know that small okapis solely do their massive errands after 4 to eight weeks? But they’ve been consuming milk fortunately all this time. An extra benefit: manure smells and that scent attracts predators to the weak younger animal. With out stench extra likelihood of survival. Okapis are ruminants with an advanced digestive and intestinal system and primarily eat leaves. However first, they take pleasure in nutritious breast milk for six months. As soon as mature, males develop two horns on their heads which can be 10 to fifteen cm lengthy. They’re growths of their cranium which can be coated with pores and skin.
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