The okapi is the only living species in the genus Okapia.
The okapi is a forest-dwelling relative of the giraffe found naturally in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a dark reddish-brown body, zebra-like stripes on its legs and hindquarters, and a long, flexible tongue. Those features once caused confusion among outside observers, but genetic and anatomical evidence places it firmly in the giraffe family, Giraffidae.
Okapis live mainly in the dense Ituri Rainforest, where their striped markings help break up their outline in dappled light. They are generally solitary, except when females are raising young or adults meet briefly.
The species was scientifically described in the early twentieth century after explorers obtained specimens. It is sometimes called the forest giraffe, but it is not a zebra or a hybrid. Its closest living relative is the giraffe.