Okapis are solitary, forest-dependent relatives of giraffes found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their specific dietary, spatial, and sensory needs make captive management demanding, while their wild populations face catastrophic habitat and poaching pressure.
Okapis require large, quiet enclosures that minimise visitor noise and startling stimuli, as they are highly sensitive to sudden sounds and unfamiliar scents. Their diet of diverse browse — requiring fresh branches from multiple tree species — is labour-intensive to provide in captivity. Social interaction is limited to breeding pairs temporarily housed together; permanent mixed-sex housing causes chronic stress. Conservation-linked zoo programmes fund anti-poaching ranger salaries and community development in the Ituri Forest, making captive populations both conservation ambassadors and direct funders of field protection.