Rare, Okapi Calf 'Elombe' Makes Zoo Debut

SAN DIEGO, CA – "Little" okapi calf, Elombe, known as "Eli" and weighing in at 192 pounds at 3 months old, now has moved beyond the barn where he was born at the San Diego Zoo and occasionally ventures out to explore his exhibit area -- meaning guests may catch a glimpse of the rare critter.

Okapis, the closest living relatives of the giraffe, live in the Ituri Forest – a dense rain forest in central Africa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – are listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, due to hunting and continued habitat loss, according to zoo officials, noting that only a few zoos in the United States house this rare species.

Elombe's birth in January proved significant to San Diego Zoo Global efforts as his arrival served "as a promising achievement in the conservation organization’s efforts in saving endangered species worldwide," the organization said.

Elombe, whose name means “brave one” in the Lingala language, is the second surviving okapi calf born at the zoo in less than two years, and now shares the spotlight with Mosi, the zoo’s other young okapi, born in 2017.

San Diego Zoo animal-care staff said they have been mesmerized by Eli since birth, when they watched mom, Subira, help her young calf slowly stand up and move about on wobbly legs.

Eli now is gaining confidence and curiosity, showing a keen fascination for his surroundings, even trotting up to the “howdy” fence where grandmother, Safarani, and young Mosi stand on the other side, handlers said.

"The three quickly began interacting with each other by sniffing, licking and vocalizing," the zoo said. "Although little Eli is still nursing, he can occasionally be seen nibbling on alfalfa – a behavior learned through careful mimicking of his mom and grandma."

“He seems quiet at first, staring at keepers and his environment, then all of a sudden, he gets this huge burst of energy and off he goes, checking out everything,”said Jennifer Chapman, senior keeper.

San Diego Zoo Global is laboring with local community members in the okapi’s native habitat to protect this rare and unusual forest dweller. In 1992, one-fifth of the okapi habitat in the Ituri Forest was protected by the creation of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, a World Heritage Site that provides the species an area removed from most human interference, zoo staff said.

Read more on the Okapi Wildlife Reserve here.

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