Okapi: new book celebrates a once famous animal and recovers Indigenous experts’ place in its history

Simon Pooley’s new book, Discovering the Okapi, examines the history of the Congo Basin’s most mysterious animal. The okapi is the only living relative of the giraffe, sharing the same ossicones, long purple tongue, and specific gait. Despite their biological similarities, these animals are perfectly adapted to the rainforest floor. While westerners were fascinated by the animal in the early 20th century, their discovery relied entirely on the expertise of Indigenous hunters and trackers.

Historical records from the time show that explorers were unable to find or understand the animal without local knowledge. Indigenous experts understood the okapi’s diet, parenting behaviors, and specific movement patterns. European colonial figures frequently documented these interactions in their private papers but excluded these individuals from the scientific journals and public reports of the era. The new book corrects this historical oversight by documenting the contributions of figures like the Azande hunter Abawe and the Mbuti hunter Makulu-kulu.

The book also details how the Belgian colonial government used the okapi as a political tool. King Leopold II and his successors distributed okapi as gifts to foreign governments to deflect from the widespread atrocities committed during their control of the Congo. This era of extraction left a legacy of instability that continues to impact the region. The modern okapi faces significant threats today from mining, timber clearance, and charcoal production, which destroy their essential habitat.

Conservation efforts remain difficult due to the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Surveys have been impossible since the animal was declared endangered in 2015. While some organizations attempt to breed the animals in zoos, these programs struggle to maintain genetic health and do not replicate the life of an okapi in the wild. Protecting this species requires focusing on forest preservation and acknowledging the role of the local people who have lived alongside these animals for generations.