MELBOURNE, Fla. – A new species is joining the animals at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne.
This week, the zoo welcomed a one-and-a-half-year-old okapi named George to its facility. George will be getting acclimated behind the scenes at the zoo, and then will be part of the Expedition Africa area.
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Okapi may have legs like a zebra, but they come from the Giraffidae family and are also known as forest giraffes because of their dependence on their natural forest habitat, where they are difficult to find in the wild. In fact, scientists thought the okapi was a myth until the 20th century (the indigenous people knew better).
The zoo says George came to its facility as part of a Species Survival Plan within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help protect genetically diverse animal populations.
The okapi are an endangered species in their native rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, due to hunting and habitat loss because of mining minerals used in electronics like smartphones.
The zoo says it will announce on social media when George is out and about for public view.
In the meantime, the zoo is collecting electronics for recycling through the Eco-Cell program. A drop-off box is located near the zoo ticket booth. You can drop off old cell phones, smartphones, iPads, iPods, tablets, smartwatches, digital cameras and more.
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