The okapi looks like a zebra from behind with its striped legs, but from the front, it resembles a short-necked giraffe. It is the only living relative of the giraffe and one of the most elusive large mammals on Earth, living deep in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

For centuries, locals in the Ituri Forest spoke of a shy, deer-like animal they called the “African unicorn.” Western scientists doubted it existed until 1901, when it was finally confirmed as a new species. Even today, few people ever see one in the wild.

Although its stripes might suggest zebra ancestry, the okapi belongs to the giraffe family, Giraffidae. It shares the giraffe’s long, flexible tongue, specialized teeth, and distinctive skull structure. The main difference is proportion: giraffes evolved for open savannas, stretching their necks for treetop leaves, while okapis adapted to the dense, shaded forests of Central Africa. Although shorter, the okapi’s neck still contains seven vertebrae, just like the giraffe’s.

An adult okapi stands about 1.5 to 2 meters (4.9 to 6.6 feet) tall at the shoulder and weighs 200 to 350 kilograms (440 to 770 pounds). Its coat is one of the softest in the animal kingdom, velvety and reddish-brown with white stripes on the legs and hindquarters. These stripes provide camouflage in the dappled light of the forest and help calves follow their mothers through the undergrowth.

Males have short, skin-covered horns called ossicones, the same type found in giraffes. Females lack them and are slightly larger, and both sexes have large, sensitive ears that can rotate independently to detect the faintest sounds.

Okapis are solitary, each adult maintaining a territory that can span several square kilometers. They spend their lives navigating the maze of the Ituri Forest along narrow paths they use year after year. Their eyesight is limited, but their hearing is exceptional, and they communicate in ways humans can barely detect.

They use infrasound, low-frequency calls below human hearing, to stay in contact across long distances. Mothers whisper soft infrasound “hums” to their hidden calves, and adults use it to signal their presence or warn others. This silent communication keeps them connected in the dense forest where visibility is limited.

Okapis are mostly active in the early morning and late afternoon, browsing leaves, shoots, fruits, ferns, and fungi. They pluck food from branches with their long, black tongues, which can extend up to 35 centimeters (14 inches), and lick mineral-rich clay from the ground, which supplements their diet.

Everything about the okapi’s body is built for stealth. Its deep chest and strong limbs let it move quietly through dense vegetation. The dark, oily coat repels water, which is essential in rainforests where rain falls nearly every day. Its prehensile tongue not only strips leaves but can clean its eyelids and ears with remarkable precision.

Okapis have scent glands beneath their feet that leave a tar-like secretion, marking their trails through the forest. Each okapi’s stripe pattern is unique, much like a fingerprint, helping calves recognize their mothers.

Okapis can breed any time of year, but most births occur during the rainy seasons when food is plentiful. After a gestation of 14 to 15 months, a female gives birth to a single calf weighing about 16 kilograms (35 pounds). Newborn okapis are unusually quiet and spend their first weeks hidden in dense vegetation, lying still to avoid detection.

The mother visits only briefly to nurse, minimizing scent trails that could attract predators such as leopards. Calves begin walking within 30 minutes of birth but often remain in hiding for up to two months before following their mothers on feeding routes.

Young okapis are weaned by six months and reach full size by about two years. Wild okapis can live for around 20 years, though few reach that age because of predators and natural hazards.