It's October 18th, World Okapi Day. Deep in the heart of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, hidden in the dense rainforest, lives the mysterious and enigmatic okapi. In the wild, this shy, elusive creature is rarely seen by humans. When people do see an okapi for the first time (usually at a zoo), most imagine it must be related to the zebra because of its stripes, but the okapi is not related to the zebra - it's related to the giraffe, and is in fact the giraffe's only living relative.
World Okapi Day was created to celebrate this special, endangered animal and protect the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in which it lives. Despite the protected status of the reserve and its wild animals, the okapi's continued existence is threatened by habitat destruction, slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal gold mining, and bushmeat poaching. Today gives the Mbuti People who live in the reserve a chance to celebrate the hard work they've accomplished to conserve the natural environment they share with their national animal, which is so important to their culture and traditions.
Today is also a call to action for all of us all around the world. The okapi’s rainforest home is a habitat for thousands of species. It's also one of the largest land-based carbon sinks in the world, helping to mitigate climate change. What we all do can help protect this Congo Basin Rainforest. If we choose to live sustainably, we help the okapi. ☮️ Peace… Jamiese of Pixoplanet
