Belated congratulations are in order for Dublin Zoo!
It was revealed today that a baby okapi calf was born on the morning of Good Friday, 18 April, 2025, making her the third okapi calf ever born in Ireland.
Over the past three months, the soon-to-be-named young calf has been growing steadily and showing all the signs of good health.
The birth marks an important milestone in the conservation of the okapi species, and it's all thanks to proud parents Lumara and Kitabu.
Lumara, aged 10, is caring for her calf beautifully, having birthed Dalia and Leki previously at Dublin Zoo. Like the earlier calves, this year's new female is settling into her home under the attentive care of her mother.
Infant okapis spend most of their time in their nest during the first few months of life, but visitors to Dublin Zoo may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the growing calf as she begins to explore her outdoor habitat in the coming weeks.
Also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe and zebra giraffe, okapis are an artiodactyl mammal native to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Much like its giraffe cousin, the okapi has a long, dark tongue that helps them to pull leaves from branches.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is endagered, with experts estimating that populations have dropped dramatically over the past two decades.
Helen Clarke, Team Leader at Dublin Zoo, expressed her excitement about the new arrival:
"We’re absolutely delighted to welcome our third okapi calf to Dublin Zoo. Each birth is a major step forward for the conservation of this endangered species. At the moment, the calf is nesting with her mother - typical behaviour for young okapis - but it won’t be long before she begins exploring the outdoor habitat alongside her."
