The okapi is sometimes referred to as an example of a living fossil.The okapi was adopted as an emblem by the now defunct International Society of Cryptozoology. The tongue of the okapi is also long enough for the animal to wash its eyelids and clean its ears (inside and out).
The okapi is a beautiful and unusual animal. It has white and black striped hindquarters and front legs, like a zebra's, but its head is like a giraffe's. In fact the okapi is a distant cousin of the giraffe. Like giraffes, okapis have very large , upright ears, which catch even slight sounds, helping them to avoid trouble. They also have long, dark tongues , just like giraffe's to help them strip the buds and young leaves from the trees in the dense rain forest of West Africa. They are not as tall as giraffe, since they live in rainforests where there are trees with branches hanging down as well as roots and tree trunks to dodge. Okapis communicate by means of a scent gland on each foot that leaves behind a sticky tar like substance wherever the have walked, marking their territory. Its really interesting that By checking the ground , an okapi can tell if an other okapi has been there.
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