Saving Okapi

Saving Okapi. . , It is difficult to know how many okapi are still living in Congolese rainforests, but by all estimates, their numbers are declining. To save okapi, we need to preserve and protect their shrinking habitat., Okapi population decline , 2000: 35,000 okapi , 2020: ~15,000 okapi, Why are okapi disappearing? , ➩ , What will bring okapi back? , Habitat loss. Illegal logging, mining, charcoal production, and agricultural activities are shrinking the forests where okapi live. , ➩ , Rainforest preservation. Curbing illegal activities within protected areas will help preserve rainforest habitat., Civil unrest. Decades of civil war and lawlessness in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have disrupted all wildlife conservation. , ➩ , Peace. Achieving peace and stability in the DRC could end years of violence against citizens and wildlife alike., Poaching. Poachers infringe on protected areas and target okapi for their hides and meat. , ➩ , Law enforcement. Adequately patrolling the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and Maiko National Park in the DRC, where most okapi live, is crucial., Inadequate protection. The government agency tasked with protecting national parks and wildlife in the DRC is under-funded and understaffed. , ➩ , Forming alliances. The OCP partners with government wildlife rangers to protect okapi in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. . , What can you do? , The Maryland Zoo is a sustaining partner of the Okapi Conservation Project (OCP), which has been working alongside government wildlife rangers since 1987 to secure a future for okapi in the rainforests of the Congo. By becoming a member of the Maryland Zoo or by donating to the Zoo, you help us to help okapi and other wildlife around the world., The okapi population in Africa declined more than 🢃50% between 2000 and 2020.