Beginning of the project: 2025
2025 Contribution: CZK 109,820
Funding Source: 4Nature fundraiser
The Okapi Conservation Project is a non-profit organization established nearly 40 years ago. It focuses on protecting wild okapis and preserving the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1992, the organization helped establish the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, located in the heart of the Ituri Rainforest. Since 1996, the reserve has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spanning 13,700 km², it is one of the most biologically diverse areas in Africa. In addition to okapis, the reserve is home to chimpanzees, leopards, and forest elephants.
Okapis are among the world’s most fascinating and mysterious animals. They have a striking chestnut-brown coat with distinctive white stripes on their hind legs. Although they may not appear closely related at first glance, giraffes are actually their nearest relatives. They share many biological traits, such as a long prehensile tongue—hence the nickname “forest giraffe.” Okapis are extremely shy and live in dense forest habitats, which makes them very difficult to monitor. As a result, estimating their population in the wild is challenging. Various sources suggest that between 15,000 and 35,000 individuals remain in the wild, with around 3,500 living in the protected Ituri Reserve.
The main threats to okapis include poaching and armed conflict, followed by habitat loss caused by deforestation and the mining of resources such as gold and diamonds.
Funds raised are used not only for wildlife and habitat protection but also to equip park rangers. Rangers play a key role in conservation, often putting themselves at great risk as they stand between poachers and endangered species.
