An African creature so secretive and rarely spotted that it once had a similar status to the mythical unicorn has been caught on camera in the wild for the first time. Sporting a bump in the centre of its head which resembles a tiny horn, the elusive okapi was photographed living in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo.The shy creature was photographed by camera traps set up in the jungle by the Zoological Society of London and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation. Despite being branded a 'unicorn', the striped hindquarters of the bizarre-looking animal resemble those of a zebra. The markings are believed to grace the back legs of the okapi so its offspring can follow it through dense jungle. (Daily Mail Thursday 11th September 2008)Thursday, 11 September 2008
Mythical 'African unicorn' caught on camera in the wild for the first time
An African creature so secretive and rarely spotted that it once had a similar status to the mythical unicorn has been caught on camera in the wild for the first time. Sporting a bump in the centre of its head which resembles a tiny horn, the elusive okapi was photographed living in the jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo.The shy creature was photographed by camera traps set up in the jungle by the Zoological Society of London and the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation. Despite being branded a 'unicorn', the striped hindquarters of the bizarre-looking animal resemble those of a zebra. The markings are believed to grace the back legs of the okapi so its offspring can follow it through dense jungle. (Daily Mail Thursday 11th September 2008)