The okapi became known to European explorers in the late 19th century, and then several explorers tried and failed to even see a live okapi. Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston often gets credit for its discovery, but there's much more to the story than that. 

Research:
“Obituary: Dr. Wilhelm Junker.” Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York, vol. 24, 1892, pp. 148–50, http://www.jstor.org/stable/196694. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.
“Newly Discovered Beast of the Congo Forests.” Saturday Evening Kansas Commoner. June 27, 1901. https://www.newspapers.com/image/383188816/?terms=%22equus%20johnstoni%22&match=1
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Wilhelm Junker". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wilhelm-Junker
L., R. Dr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S. . Nature 91, 455 (1913). https://doi.org/10.1038/091455a0
H., M. Sir Harry Johnston, S.G.M.G., K.C.B. Nature 120, 339–340 (1927). https://doi.org/10.1038/120339a0
Kinder, John M. “Year Zero: Restocking the Post-war Zoo.” National WWII Museum New Orleans. Sept. 21, 2021. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/restocking-post-world-war-ii-zoos
Silverstein, Raymond O. “A note on the term “Bantu” as first used by W. H. I. Bleek.” African Studies. Volume 27. 1968. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00020186808707298
“Okapi’s Half-century.” Zooquarium. Spring 2014. https://www.eaza.net/assets/Uploads/Zooquaria/ZQ85.pdf
“A MOST CURIOUS ANIMAL, A CULTURAL SYMBOL, A SPECIES ON THE BRINK.” Okapi Conservation Project. https://www.okapiconservation.org/the-okapi/
“World Okapi Day.” IUCN. Oct. 18, 2021. https://www.iucn.org/news/species-survival-commission/202110/world-okapi-day
“Bronx Zoo Debuts Its Baby Okapi.” WCS Newsroom. July 27, 2009. https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/4802/Bronx-Zoo-Debuts-Its-Baby-Okapi.aspx
Brzezinski, Bartosz. “Of okapis and men: Antwerp Zoo helps preserve endangered species.” Flanders Today. Aug. 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160814194411/http://www.flanderstoday.eu/living/okapis-and-men-antwerp-zoo-helps-preserve-endangered-species
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston". Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harry-Hamilton-Johnston
Raffaele, Paul. “The Pygmies’ Plight.” Smithsonian. December 2008. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-pygmies-plight-93401092/
Lindsey, Susan Lyndaker, et al. “The Okapi: Mysterious Animal of Congo-Zaire.” University of Texas Press. 1999.

The okapi became known to European explorers in the late 19th century, and then several explorers tried and failed to even see a live okapi. Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston often gets credit for its discovery, but there's much more to the story than that.&nbsp;
Research:
<ul>
<li>&ldquo;Obituary: Dr. Wilhelm Junker.&rdquo; Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York, vol. 24, 1892, pp. 148&ndash;50, http://www.jstor.org/stable/196694. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.</li>
<li>&ldquo;Newly Discovered Beast of the Congo Forests.&rdquo; Saturday Evening Kansas Commoner. June 27, 1901. https://www.newspapers.com/image/383188816/?terms=%22equus%20johnstoni%22&amp;match=1</li>
<li>Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Wilhelm Junker". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wilhelm-Junker</li>
<li>L., R.&nbsp;Dr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S.&nbsp;.&nbsp;Nature&nbsp;91,&nbsp;455 (1913). https://doi.org/10.1038/091455a0</li>
<li>H., M. Sir Harry Johnston, S.G.M.G., K.C.B.&nbsp;Nature&nbsp;120,&nbsp;339&ndash;340 (1927). https://doi.org/10.1038/120339a0</li>
<li>Kinder, John M. &ldquo;Year Zero: Restocking the Post-war Zoo.&rdquo; National WWII Museum New Orleans. Sept. 21, 2021. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/restocking-post-world-war-ii-zoos</li>
<li>Silverstein, Raymond O. &ldquo;A note on the term &ldquo;Bantu&rdquo; as first used by W. H. I. Bleek.&rdquo; African Studies. Volume 27. 1968. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00020186808707298</li>
<li>&ldquo;Okapi&rsquo;s Half-century.&rdquo; Zooquarium. Spring 2014. https://www.eaza.net/assets/Uploads/Zooquaria/ZQ85.pdf</li>
<li>&ldquo;A MOST CURIOUS ANIMAL,&nbsp;A CULTURAL SYMBOL,&nbsp;A SPECIES ON THE BRINK.&rdquo; Okapi Conservation Project. https://www.okapiconservation.org/the-okapi/</li>
<li>&ldquo;World Okapi Day.&rdquo; IUCN. Oct. 18, 2021. https://www.iucn.org/news/species-survival-commission/202110/world-okapi-day</li>
<li>&ldquo;Bronx Zoo Debuts Its Baby Okapi.&rdquo; WCS Newsroom. July 27, 2009. https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/4802/Bronx-Zoo-Debuts-Its-Baby-Okapi.aspx</li>
<li>Brzezinski, Bartosz. &ldquo;Of okapis and men: Antwerp Zoo helps preserve endangered species.&rdquo; Flanders Today. Aug. 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160814194411/http://www.flanderstoday.eu/living/okapis-and-men-antwerp-zoo-helps-preserve-endangered-species</li>
<li>Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston".&nbsp;Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harry-Hamilton-Johnston</li>
<li>Raffaele, Paul. &ldquo;The Pygmies&rsquo; Plight.&rdquo; Smithsonian. December 2008. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-pygmies-plight-93401092/</li>
<li>Lindsey, Susan Lyndaker, et al. &ldquo;The Okapi: Mysterious Animal of Congo-Zaire.&rdquo; University of Texas Press. 1999.</li>
</ul>

Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

The okapi became known to European explorers in the late 19th century, and then several explorers tried and failed to even see a live okapi.

The Okapi and the Western World

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c1e0ba05-f4b6-43d5-b2dc-ae85014b2d4a/transcript

Advertisement