In Epulu, we had the privilege to see for ourselves the crazy, wonderful creatures for which the Okapi Wildlife Reserve is named. The first time you see an okapi, you are reminded of those crazy animal displays that did the rounds in Europe when Africa was first “discovered”, showing creatures with, for example, the head of giraffe but the body of zebra. Okapis are definitely weird looking enough to have been in those displays. They look like they were put together from the left-overs: the legs of a zebra, the body of a horse-sized brown antelope and the horns of, quite possibly, a giraffe. They’re like a real-life embodiment of the rumours of crazy animals brought back by long-ago explores. They are, in fact, quite closely related to giraffes (they are giraffids) but look only a very little like them and are much closer in size to a medium-sized horse.
They are also extremely endangered. Unless something miraculous happens, it seems unlikely, in a few years’ time, that there will be any okapis outside of zoos. The reserve is trying to do something about that, both through research and guarding those few okapis that remain in the wild and through a breeding programme. It is as a result of the breeding programme that some okapis are kept at the centre in Epulu where, if you’re as lucky, you can see them up close. This is a unique and precious experience because, as we learnt on the hunting trip, spotting anything in the wild of those rainforests could only be a matter of ridiculous good luck.
We head up to the okapi enclosures in the early afternoon. My day had started with a cup of coffee by the river, where I watched two giant black and white parrots, looking for all the world like gentlemen in white pantaloons and black coats arguing as the hopped from branch to branch. There was a fish eagle, too, and the ubiquitous soaring brown hawks. The pygmies arrived to sell us necklaces and bracelets. We spent the morning lazing in the gazebo by the river and then went into town for an early lunch, enlivened by wondering, as we sat on our rickety chairs in a dark little room, how in the a Saddam Hussein calendar had made its way to this hidden corner of the Congo.
And then there were okapis. They really are incredibly beautiful, if somewhat improbably, creatures. Their bodies are a rich chestnut colour, their legs and hind quarters clear, clean black and white zebra stripes and their faces ghostly, alien faces with exquisitely expressive eyes. It was feeding time and they were definitely inquisitive. Several came up to the fence to find out what was going on. One tried to lick the camera. Another stuck its super-long tongue through the fence and tried to eat the creeper on the other side. Then they’d get nervous and try on their best defensive pose: standing a little way away from us, under a tree, with their tail ends towards the people and peeking over their shoulders to see if we’d gone away.
Staff arrived with wheelbarrows full of leaves. They went into the enclosures and hung them up like clothes on a washing line. Apparently this is entirely necessary; if okapis have to lean down to eat, all the blood flows to their heads and they eventually die. The creatures wandered up to the lines on food and stood there, glancing furtively back at us. Then they’d take a bite and stand, peaking through the curtains of okapi-food leaves while they chewed. Others, clearly more interested in food than people, ignored us entirely and gobbled their way through a whole washing-line of leaves.
I could have watched all day. We took so many pictures of these strange, wonderful creatures. It was as if we were trying to capture them to take home, on the page and screen if nowhere else. I grew up in a land of game reserves. I’ve seen plenty of giraffes and impala and kudu and zebras. I’ve even seen baby rhinos and rare, secretive leopards. Okapis are special, perhaps because they are more rare, occurring only in the fast-dwindling Africa rainforests.
***********************************
Post-script
Before we went to the DRC, a journalist we met in Kampala described the situation there as, it’s all okay until it’s not. Okapi Wildlife Reserve really is one of the most magical, wonderful places I’ve ever been and when we were there it was completely safe and peaceful. Unfortunately, things don’t always stay that way. During June, the headquarters of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in Epulu were attacked by a rebel group, apparently in retaliation for their work to prevent elephant poaching. Two guards were killed, buildings destroyed and offices ransacked. One of the surviving guards walked all night to Mambasa to call for help and the Congolese army, the FARDC, headed for the area to restore order. Early reports indicated that the village was deserted and the pygmies had fled. All of the okapis we saw at the centre were killed. While this is a devastating blow, the Okapi Wildlife Conservation team are determined to rebuild and are currently raising funds to support the families of those who were harmed, to restore the town and the facilities and to get back on track to conserve the okapis. Hopefully, one day soon, it will again be possible for others to experience the magic of Epulu. Until then, the Okapi conservation team could use all the help they can get.