Kalispell, the new baby okapi
/ Courtesy: Denver Zoo
DENVER (AP) -- A rare African animal once mistaken for a unicorn has been born at the Denver Zoo.
Zoo officials have announced the birth of a healthy female okapi, which exists in the wild only in Congo. The animal is a relative of the giraffe but has zebra-like stripes on its legs and rear.
The species was unknown to European scientists until a century ago. It is thought to have inspired claims of unicorn sightings by Victorian-era explorers. The shy animal wasn't captured on film in the wild until last year. Scientists fear the okapi could become extinct in the wild because of poaching and armed conflict in Congo.
The female okapi born at the Denver Zoo June 27 is the zoo's fifth. She's named Kalispell.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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