Rare African okapi seen in wild

 

An African animal so secretive it was once believed to be a mythical unicorn has been caught on camera in the wild. Camera traps set by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured rare pictures of wild okapi. The giraffe-like mammals, which have zebra-like stripes on their rear, are under threat from the bush meat trade. The sightings in Virunga National Park prove the species is surviving in the jungle despite years of civil conflict. Dr Noelle Kumpel, ZSL's bush meat and forests conservation programme manager, said: "To have captured photographs of such a charismatic creature is amazing.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Rare African okapi seen in wild