Question 1

True or false: Okapis are aggressive predators that occasionally eat small birds.

Accepted Answer

False. Okapis are herbivores, eating leaves, fruits, and fungi. They have no predatory instincts and are shy, not aggressive.

Question 2

True or false: Okapis were unknown to Western science until the early 20th century.

Accepted Answer

True. The okapi was first described to the West in 1901 by Sir Harry Johnston, though local African peoples had known of it for centuries.

Question 3

True or false: Okapis are native to the savannas of East Africa, where they graze alongside zebras.

Accepted Answer

False. Okapis live only in the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, not on savannas. They are solitary and secretive.

Question 4

True or false: The okapi is more closely related to the giraffe than to the zebra, despite its stripes.

Accepted Answer

True. Okapis are the only living relatives of giraffes, sharing a common ancestor. Their zebra-like stripes help them blend into the dense rainforest.

Question 5

True or false: Baby okapis are born without stripes and develop them within their first month.

Accepted Answer

False. Okapi calves are born with their stripes already visible. The pattern helps them camouflage and follow their mother.

Question 6

True or false: Okapis communicate using infrasound, which is too low for humans to hear.

Accepted Answer

False. Okapis make audible sounds like chuffs and bleats. Infrasound communication is known in elephants and giraffes, but not okapis.

Question 7

True or false: An okapi's tongue is so long it can lick its own shoulder blades.

Accepted Answer

True. The okapi's prehensile tongue, reaching 12–18 inches, can indeed reach its shoulders to groom and strip leaves.

Question 8

True or false: Okapis can use their tongues to clean their own eyes and ears.

Accepted Answer

True. An okapi's tongue is up to 18 inches long, long enough to reach and clean its eyes, ears, and even its nostrils.

Okapi Trivia Questions