Baby okapi born in Belgium - VIDEO

An endangered baby okapi has made her first public appearance at a Belgian zoo.

Born on July 4, Mchawi is the seventh member of the okapi family living in Antwerp zoo.

"You can pet her. She's very nice to us, she isn't afraid of us. Her mother is also calm, so it's mother like daughter,” said Patrick Immens, head keeper of mammals at the zoo.

When Mchawi's parents were first introduced, the male Libembe quickly lost interest in the female Hakima. Mr Immens presumed the mating had been successful so was surprised to discover Hakima was pregnant.

“Although he lost interest, we thought maybe the first time when he was with her, he may have mated her and so maybe she would be pregnant - and then she was,” the keeper said.

The natural habitat for the okapi, a member of the giraffe family, is threatened by deforestation and poaching. The only country where they can still be found in the wild is the Democratic Republic of Congo.


/The Telegraph/

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