The okapi — the giraffe's only living relative — is a shy, solitary forest dweller facing welfare pressures from armed conflict, poaching, and deforestation in its restricted range in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Okapi welfare is entangled with one of the world's most complex humanitarian and conservation crises. The Ituri Forest, their only habitat, sits within a region experiencing chronic armed conflict that disrupts both wildlife monitoring and anti-poaching efforts. Rangers protecting the Okapi Wildlife Reserve have been killed in attacks by armed groups — creating an environment where wildlife protection is genuinely life-threatening. In this context, okapis face poaching for bushmeat with minimal enforcement protection. The solitary, shy nature of okapis means that population assessment is difficult, and welfare harms may be occurring at scales that are invisible to researchers who cannot safely access their range. Deforestation for subsistence agriculture and artisanal gold and coltan mining removes forest habitat on which okapis depend for food and cover.