Brookfield Zoo Announces Birth of ‘Forest Giraffe’

BROOKFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Officials at Brookfield Zoo near Chicago have announced the birth of an okapi (oh-KAH’-pee), also known as a “forest giraffe.”

The baby is a male named Will.

Okapi are hoofed mammals with creamy white stripes on their upper legs. They are native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa.

The zoo announced Tuesday that Will was born April 21 and won’t be on exhibit for a while. But visitors can see him via a live video feed at the zoo. His mother is named Augusta K.

Brookfield Zoo was the site of the first okapi birth in North America in 1959 and has had more than two dozen successful okapi births.

The Chicago Zoological Society says breeding programs and conservation efforts are crucial to the species’ survival.

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