Okapis are mysterious forest giraffids that face significant welfare challenges in captivity due to their specific environmental and social needs.
Okapi welfare in zoos is a specialized discipline that requires understanding an animal that has been in human care for less than a century and remains behaviorally cryptic. Their extreme sensitivity to social contact — adults can seriously injure each other — requires careful management of any interaction outside deliberate breeding. Their browsing diet requires diverse plant species that are often difficult and expensive to source in quantity outside their native range. Respiratory infections are a significant cause of morbidity, making appropriate climate conditions essential. The small captive population means each animal is irreplaceable from a conservation standpoint, amplifying the importance of optimal individual welfare for both ethical and program management reasons.