\u201cThe San Diego Zoo wildlife care team welcomed a spunky new okapi calf on September 2nd,\u201d the zoo shared in an Instagram<\/a> post on Sept. 9.<\/p>\n The zoo added, \u201cBorn to mom Subira and first-time dad Kapu, this precious gal is the first okapi born at the Zoo since 2021, and the first calf to be born right on habitat. Guests can see this sweet little one exploring the big new world around her when visiting the Lost Forest.\u201d<\/p>\n In a press release obtained by NBC San Diego<\/a>, reps from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance explained that the new calf was able to be born outside in its enclosure due to the warm time of year.<\/p>\n “Okapi calves do not thermoregulate well, so previous calves born at the Zoo in the winter remained in behind-the-scenes areas until they were a few months old,” the SDZWA stated.<\/p>\n This also means that zoo visitors are already able to glimpse the new addition.<\/p>\n San Diego Zoo\/Instagram<\/p>\n Okapi calf born at San Diego Zoo in 2025<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n Okapi<\/a>, known as \u201cforest giraffes,\u201d are native to the Ituri Rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo \u2014 which is the only place they can currently be found in the wild, per National Geographic<\/a>.<\/p>\n They are herbivores that grow to approximately 8 feet in length and 5 feet in height, and weigh between 440 and 660 lbs. They are also known for their thick, oily fur that stays dry in the rain.<\/p>\n Okapi are currently classified as \u201cendangered.\u201d<\/a> It is not known how many okapi exist in the wild at this time, but conservationists say their population may have been reduced by as much as half in the past two decades. They attribute the loss to poachers, who hunt the animals for their fur and skin, as well as deforestation of their natural habitat.<\/p>\n Okapi live about 30 years in captivity, per National Geographic.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"San](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/76981e65a093590bf75e7c04a801ea6b.jpeg\"\/)
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