The Discovery of the Okapi

The okapi is an animal whose tale inspires all those who choose to listen. It is an animal that defied the odds and showed the zoological that there is more. It is an animal that defied even the great Georges Cuvier’s melancholy words that “there is little hope of discovering new species of large quadrupeds.” It defied the infinite ridicule and the controversial name of the African Unicorn. Those it did not defy would eventually find themselves in an “I told you so” situation with former skeptics. It became a universal symbol of the result of dedication and trust in the words of the natives. And lastly, it opened the minds of millions of onlookers that were then forced to consider what lies within cryptozoology’s jurisdiction. The real question I am now faced with is, where do I begin?

It is possible to trace the okapi’s presence in the minds of people back a long ways.  Carvings in archaeological sites have proven that the okapi and its relatives have been known for some time. Sir Harry Johnston’s “discovery” was neither a discovery nor a rediscovery, but an opening of those incredulous zoologists’ minds that refused to accept the existence of a completely logical creature. While all of this is impertinent to my documentation of the discovery of the okapi, I do feel it serves its duty as a decent introduction.

The first time the okapi was referenced was in 1860 when H.M Stanley mentioned a creature called the “’atti’” that is similar to the donkey. Undoubtedly, this is a reference to the okapi. This reference went unnoticed until the Governor of Uganda, Sir Harry Johnston, decided to investigate native claims regarding an animal that was supposed to be part zebra, part giraffe. In 1899, he stumbled upon an opportune moment when he rescued several pygmies from a German showman that intended to exhibit them at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. This incident was an ice-breaking event in regards to these two parties (Sir Harry Johnston and the Pygmies) seeing as Sir Harry heard the desired information and received strips of the skin of an okapi (that he later sent to Dr. Sclater on August 21, 1900). Dr. Sclater, upon receiving the okapi skin, named the species Equus johnstoni, assuming that it was a relative to the zebra. This was easily justified at the time due to the striped lower extremities. It was not until later, that zoologists concluded that it was an ancient relative to the giraffe and that it deserved its own genus. It was rediscovered and given the name Okapia johnstoni.

The okapi at this point had evolved to nothing less than an international symbol of what was left to be discovered. Even today, zoologists advertizing the possibility of unknown species allude to this animal’s tale of rediscovery. The real moral to this story is that sources deemed unreliable by the scientific society can be used in the ongoing investigation into the possibility of numerous “cryptids” existence. It truly was a deciding factor in the repertoire of testimonial evidence, especially those of a unique type such as legends or cave drawings. The okapi will forever be a symbol of what many yearn to see more of; zoological discoveries.