The nocturnal, giraffe-like animal from the African rainforests is the okapi. Its scientific name is Okapia johnstoni, and it is the closest living relative of the giraffe.
Okapis live mainly in the dense Ituri Rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their chocolate-brown bodies and zebra-like white stripes help them disappear among shafts of sunlight and tangled vegetation. Although often described as nocturnal, okapis are primarily active during the day and may also move around for a few hours in darkness.
An okapi is much shorter than a giraffe, standing about 1.5 metres at the shoulder. Like giraffes, it has a long, dark tongue for pulling leaves from branches. Only males have the small horn-like structures called ossicones; females have hair whorls instead. The species is endangered because of habitat loss, illegal mining, and hunting.