Critically endangered species born at Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center

On January 19, 2026, the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, welcomed a female okapi calf—a critically endangered species—born to Asil, 8 years old, and Kikari, 16 years old. This marks only the second okapi birth in the center's history and the first in the US this year.

“There are only 90 okapis in zoos in the United States, and only 5 calves were born in US zoos last year. We don’t know how many okapis still exist in the wild, making this and every okapi birth extremely important,” said Michelle Hatwood, general curator at the Audubon Nature Institute’s Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center. “There is a strong connection between okapis in zoos and okapis in the wild; everything we learn about okapi in human care can help support the protection of those animals in the wild.”¹

According to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), okapis are only found in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the Ituri Rainforest and are one of the most elusive species in the whole world.¹ Okapis prefer to live a solitary life, unlike their closest relative, the giraffe, which tends to be a highly social species.¹ Both the calf and its mother will be monitored closely over the next few months to ensure the new calf is meeting all developmental and growth milestones.

This is the second calf born to Asili, who had a female calf in 2022 but unfortunately, due to an untreatable congenital defect, the female calf only survived a few months. The center’s team, however, shares that they expect this new calf will continue to thrive.¹ Since 2017, Audubon has participated in the Species Survival Plan for okapis, which is overseen by the AZA. The institute is also a supporter of the Okapi Conservation Project, a holistic project that has supported okapi conservation since 1987. Today, there are 5 adult okapis at the Audubon Species Survival Center, where they have 26 acres to roam and facilities that are specialized to care for this critically endangered species.

Okapis are also the national symbol for the DRC and are featured on currency and emblems for the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature ecoguards, who are responsible for protecting wildlife and plants in the DRC.² Okapis can grow to be between 450 and 800 lb and stand about 4- to 5-ft tall. They are herbivores who feed on leaves from more than 100 species of plants and trees, and in the wild, they can live up to 30 years.² Okapis are threatened in the wild due to illegal hunting, mining, and other forms of human encroachment, as well as the loss of habitat due to deforestation.³

References

1. Critically endangered okapi calf born at Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center. Association of Zoos and Aquariums. March 8, 2026. Accessed March 25, 2026. https://www.aza.org/connect-stories/stories/critically-endangered-okapi-calf-born-at-freeport-mcmoran-audubon-species-survival-center
2. The okapi. Okapi Conservation Project. Accessed March 25, 2026. https://www.okapiconservation.org/the-okapi
3. Critically endangered okapi calf born at Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center. Audubon Nature Institute. February 11, 2026. Accessed March 25, 2026. https://newsroom.audubonnatureinstitute.org/critically-endangered-okapi-calf-born-at-freeport-mcmoran-audubon-species-survival-center/