Another species was today considered to be in increased danger of extinction, as the okapi was reclassified from "near threatened" to the more critical "endangered".
Also known as the "forest giraffe" -although many people think it is more closely related to the zebra-, the okapi is only found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and was only rediscovered in 2006 after not having been sighted since 1959. It is the national symbol of the DRC, even featuring on their banknotes. Poaching and habitat loss are the main causes for the decline in okapi numbers.
In 2010, ZSL launched a project to assess the okapi situation and plan an okapi conservation strategy. Data on okapi numbers is difficult to ascertain due to the remote and dangerous forests that they live in, the political instability of the area, and their shy nature. Find out more about ZSL's okapi conservation here: https://www.zsl.org/conservation/regions/africa/okapi/protecting-okapi,1806,AR.html
Large parts of their habitat are in the Virunga National Park, which is currently at risk of being destroyed by oil exploration drills. Please consider signing the WWF's petition to stop oil exploration in Virunga.
It's not all bad news. ZSL London Zoo welcomed Daphne the baby okapi in April this year. Furthermore, two species of albatross and the island fox are now considered less endangered than previously.
No comments:
Post a Comment