Is it a Zebra or a Giraffe? No Its a Baby Okapi

By Amy Sinatra Ayres

One of the first births of the year at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo was a rare one: a 64-pound okapi calf.

While the okapi may look like a zebra, it's actually the only living relative of the giraffe. The forest dweller is only found in Central Africa, and there are now 106 of them living in 28 zoos.

Born on Jan. 6 to mom Betty and dad Zack, the calf is now up to 96 pounds. He spends his days hiding with his mom while he's nursing. Hiding behavior is common in the species - both in captivity and in the wild - as a way of protecting the young from predators.

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