Since 2016, 18th of October has been designated as World Okapi
Day by the Giraffe and Okapi Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival
Commission. The focus of the day is to honor this unique animal and use it as a
symbol of conservation for the entire forest environment in which it dwells.
Eight towns around the Okapi Wildlife Reserve have fun and exciting events
planned, along with instructional messaging aimed at important demographics
including children, women, and local communities.
The Northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa is
home to the okapi, often referred to as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe,
or zebra giraffe. Even though the okapi resembles a zebra in appearance, it is
actually more likely to be related to a giraffe hence the name “forest giraffe”.
Due to challenges across its range in the DR Congo, including as illicit
poaching, forest degradation, slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal
gold mining, and human encroachment, the
species is presently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Although the
number of Okapi in the wild is currently unclear, it may only be a small number
(22,000).
Conservation
Despite
being brutally attacked at its offices in 2012, the Okapi Conservation Project,
which was founded in 1987, is still in operation. It sustains the 5,000 okapis
that call the Itiru Forest's Okapi Wildlife Reserve, a World Heritage Site,
home. In order to support the rangers who, monitor the
reserve and other places frequented by okapi, the Okapi Conservation Project
collaborates with the Institute in Congo for the Conservation of Nature. The
rangers' responsibilities also include keeping armed poachers from killing
okapis and keeping an eye on agricultural development that can damage okapi
habitats. In addition, IUCN has collaborated with other groups, such as the
Zoological Society of London, to put into action a 10-year plan to curtail
unlawful behavior that would lead to the okapi's extinction.
Importance
The okapi, which was not discovered by westerners until 1901, is revered
as a cultural icon in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is protected as
an umbrella species for the region's rich biodiversity. This includes
elephants, chimpanzees, and gorillas that also live in the okapi's habitat.
About the Author: Iman Haroon is a graduate from Government College
Women University Sialkot, Pakistan. She has done her Bachelors in Environmental
Science and is a green blogger who has volunteered to write for TENL in order
to raise environmental awareness.
0 Comments