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| By Lauren |
| I`m doing a report on an endangered mammal…the okapi! An endangered mammal is an animal whose population is so small that it is in danger of becoming extinct. This is my paper on the half giraffe, half zebra … the okapi! |
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| I bet you are wondering what an okapi is. It's the only living relative of the giraffe. The okapi may also be called 'Forest Giraffe`. The okapis` life span is about 15 years. Its weight is from 465 -550 lbs. The most striking similarity between the giraffe and the okapi is their long tongue. The long tongue is used to pull leaves off branches. The tongue may be up to one foot long! |
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| The okapi lives in North and Northwestern Zaire. It lives in dense rainforests. The okapis`foods are leaves, seeds, fruit and young shoots of trees. |
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| The oakpis` threats are poaching and tropical deforestation. Like all inhabitants of the rainforest, the okapis` future depends on the future of the rainforest itself. If the rainforest is destroyed, the only place you will find the okapi is in the zoo! |
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