The African unicorn is actually a giraffe that hides in the dense rainforest

Nature · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Long thought to be a myth, the okapi was only formally recognized by Western science in 1901. Despite its zebra-like stripes and horse-like appearance, this elusive creature is the only living relative of the giraffe. It remains a solitary, endangered inhabitant of the Congo's deep, tropical canopy forests.

The okapi, or Okapia johnstoni, is a medium-sized mammal endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While its striking white horizontal leg stripes suggest a connection to zebras, it is a member of the Giraffidae family. It stands about 1.5 meters tall at the shoulder, with a long neck and a prehensile tongue that can reach 46 centimeters in length, perfect for browsing understory vegetation in the Ituri Forest.

Western discovery of the species was a slow process. European explorers in the late 19th century heard rumors of an 'African unicorn' or a forest-dwelling donkey, which Henry Morton Stanley noted in his travelogues. Sir Harry Johnston, a British commissioner, eventually secured skin and skull fragments, allowing zoologist Ray Lankester to correctly classify the animal as a giraffid. Genetic studies have since confirmed that the okapi and the giraffe share a common ancestor that lived approximately 11.5 million years ago.

Today, the okapi is classified as endangered by the IUCN. It faces severe threats from habitat loss due to logging, illegal mining, and the presence of armed groups near protected areas. Conservation efforts, such as the Okapi Conservation Project established in 1987, work to protect these solitary animals. While they are notoriously difficult to track in the wild, captive breeding programs in zoos across North America, Europe, and Asia play a vital role in managing the species' genetic diversity.

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