Sacramento Zoo Celebrates First Okapi Birth in Its Nearly 100

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The Sacramento Zoo is celebrating the first okapi birth in its nearly 100-year history

The zoo announced on Oct. 13 that a male okapi calf made his arrival on Oct. 9

Okapi, an endangered species, are the only living relative of giraffes

The Sacramento Zoo is celebrating a special milestone.

The zoo, founded in 1927, had the very first okapi birth in its nearly 100-year history, per a news release shared on Facebook on Oct. 13. The California facility said female okapi Kivuli delivered a still-to-be-named male calf on Oct. 9.

"Kivuli and the calf are healthy," the zoo said. "The pair will be off-exhibit and not visible to the public for the next few weeks, to give both mom and calf time to adjust."

The zoo's animal care team and veterinary staff will be closely monit