Observing Okapi

Mmm these leaves look highly obtainable and overwhelmingly desirable 

Yes observe me and my long tongue which is also handy to wash my eyelids and clean ears, inside and out, its very sticky

Oooh almost there

Got one

Mmm what should I do now, the other leaf source the oblong bowl is empty

Guess I'll just wait for the meals on wheels trolley with my Okapi name on it. 

The Okapi shown is a male, identifiable from its skin covered horns. Although the Okapi looks similar to a zebra its closest relative is the giraffe and indeed is sometimes called the "forest giraffe",  the other nickname is the 'African Unicorn'.  Its home is the tropical rain forests of Central Africa.  A solitary animal which needs acreage to roam (the male more than the female), this has become a problem due to shrinking habitat because of human development and also war and poaching. There are probably 10-20,000 in the wild and the Democratic Republic of Congo project the Okapi Wildlife Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to preserving and increasing number. It located in the Ituri Forest near the border with Sudan and Uganda. The European Endangered Species Programme for Okapi is led by Antwerp Zoo (where these photographs were taken) and up to now has bred 48 calves and counting this video was the 48th with another one due.

An entry to ABC Wednesday - a journey through the alphabet - jump over to see the other O there

Going to the Zoo

 The last letter of ABC Wednesday and I'm taking a trip to the zoo. A popular place for school trips, this little group were waiting for the rest of the class before venturing through the gates. 

 Where these Chinese style lions make a grand entrance to the Antwerp Zoo, almost better than the real thing.

As we are concentrating on the letter Z this week I will show one of my favourite animals

zebras blending together in super stripes.

Founded in 1843by the Royal Society of Zoology the Antwerp Zoo's initial aim was to encourage zoological and botanical science.  Its initial area of 4 acres kept expanding throughout the 19th Century until it reached 26 acres. There are recent plans to add another 4 acres. The zoo has changed greatly since the 19th century with more emphasis on space and light for the animals  although some things remain the same such as the

 Giraffe House built in the style of an Egyptian Temple and donated to the zoo in 1856 by King Leopold II.  The giraffes were mostly outside but the food will arrive through this entrance

Apparently the designs all tell the story of the zoo and the animals arriving from the four corners of the earth

 The Egyptian hieroglyphs give more information. The row of five people have their names in hieroglyphs but I have no idea who they are.  I imagine this was a period of great excitement for all things Egyptian as Champollion had only made the complete decipherment of the symbols in the 1820s.  The aim of the building, built by Charles Servais was to "delight Antwerp and to educate its inhabitants.

An entry to ABC Wednesday. A journey through the alphabet and the end of the round 11.  Are you in for Round 12?

Quintessentially Cute

"You Looking At Me? Yes I'm quite adorable"

 

One Quite cute critter giving me the eye. Question - what is it? I think it is a ground squirrel with that fluffy tail but we don't have any in these quarters so my knowledge is questionable.  At first glance I thought it was a meerkat

Meerkat family

but no their more pointy faces are here as they chill out having some quiet time together.

Humboldt Penguins

Maybe the penguins forming an orderly queue for lunch in Antwerp Zoo know.

These quadrupeds don't know they have only seen our native squirrels but lambs are quintessentially cute, I just long to stroke those ears.

One ball of fluff wandering on the road. It looks like a Silkie chicken. Their name comes from their feathers feeling like silk, their placid nature making them ideal pets.  For the purpose of this post of course they are also quite cute.

An entry to ABC Wednesday. A journey through the alphabet.