Lewis Smith, Environment Reporter, writes... An animal once thought to be living proof that unicorns really existed has been photographed in the wild for the first time.
The okapi, the giraffe's closest relative, is one of the most secretive creatures of the central African jungles but has finally been caught on film in the wild.
During the nineteenth century it was thought to be the fabled unicorn by some of the few Westerners who managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of the animal.
Pictures of the okapi based on glimpses and imagination were sent back to Europe and suggested to naturalists that the source of the unicorn myth had been found.
Even when pygmy hunters presented a skin of an okapi to Sir Harry Johnston, the the British governor of Uganda, and he sent it to to Zoological Society of London for scientific analysis in 1901 the tales persisted.
The condition of the skin was in such poor condition that some of the more romantic observers still maintained a link to the unicorn, a hope eventually dashed when the first live specimen was captured and sent to the United States in the 1930s.
Photographs of the live okapi in its natural habitat were taken by a camera trap triggered when animals tripped a sensor.
The traps were set up by researchers from the ZSL and Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
It was the first time that the species had been seen alive in the national park for almost 50 years, though tracks were found in 2006. In two other protected areas it has suffered severe declines and in unprotected areas the decline is presumed to be even worse because of the bushmeat trade.
Dr Noelle Kumpel, of ZSL, said: “To have captured the first ever photographs of such a charismatic creature is amazing. Okapi are very shy and rare animals - which is why conventional surveys only tend to record droppings and other signs of their presence.
"They are declining as far as we can tell but our knowledge of the animals is pretty scant. We don't have a good hold on the number or distribution."
She added: "It used to be thought it was a unicorn in the Victorian era. The few Westerners who came across it only caught passing glances and stories of this mythical donkey-like and unicorn-like animal were reported."
The trap was part of a survey project which has also revealed the presence of a previously unknown population of the animals.
Okapis are known as the forest giraffe and, similar to its taller cousin, it has a long, black prehensile toungue. On its rear are black and white stripes like a zebra's bottom which the young use to recognise their mothers.
Thierry Lusenge, a member of the survey team, said: “The photographs clearly show the stripes on their rear, which act like unique fingerprints.
"We have already identified three individuals, and further survey work will enable us to estimate population numbers and distribution in and around the Park, which is a critical first step in targeting conservation efforts.”
Norbert Mushenzi, deputy director of Virunga National Park, added: “Okapi are an emblematic species for the Congolese and are even pictured on the ICCN logo. The rangers and I are incredibly excited to have found evidence of okapi still surviving here, as this gives added value to the Park.”
Source: timesonline.typepad.com
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