Rainforest Wild Adventure welcomes first okapi born in Southeast Asia, netizens asked to help name calf

Rainforest Wild Adventure is now home to the first okapi born in Southeast Asia, and netizens have the chance to help name it.

In a press release on Thursday (Sept 24), Mandai Wildlife Group said that the male calf was born on July 27 to first-time parents seven-year-old Kisala and four-year-old Xandor.

The calf has almost doubled in weight since it was born and currently weighs 48kg.

According to Cecilia Tang, a curator at Mandai's animal care department, the calf and Kisala have recently been given access to their outdoor habitat, but that the calf is still taking time to get used to his new surroundings.

"We're allowing him to explore and build confidence at his own pace, so it may take some time before visitors see more of him," she said.

Okapis have one of the longest gestation periods among hoofed mammals, lasting around 440 days, said Mandai, adding that they are also highly elusive by nature.

Unlike many newborn animals that follow their mothers around, okapi calves naturally spend much of their early days hidden and still to avoid detection by predators, with their mothers returning only a few times a day to nurse.

In a Facebook reel, Mandai also showcased the dedicated calving box that it constructed, fitted with curtains to support the calf's natural behaviour.

Okapis are classified as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and are native to the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Those who wish to learn more about the species can join the daily okapi ranger talk at the park, held at 10.30am and 3pm, according to a separate Facebook post.

Public can help name calf

The okapi calf still has not been named, and Mandai is calling on members of the public to help name it.

There are currently three names shortlisted:

Imara – meaning strong, reflecting courage, resilience and growth in Swahili

Mayaka – meaning pearl, symbolising a precious and treasured gift in Lingala

Kiah – meaning dawn, new beginnings, or start of the season in Swahili

Guests can cast their vote by leaving comments on Mandai's Facebook and Instagram pages by Sept 30, said the zoo.

dana.leong@asiaone.com

雨林野生探险乐园迎来了东南亚首只霍加狓，网友们有机会为它命名。

Mandai Wildlife Group 在周四（9 月 24 日）发布的新闻稿中表示，这头雄性小牛于 7 月 27 日出生，它的父母是 7 岁的 Kisala 和 4 岁的 Xandor，这是它们第一次当父母。

这头小牛自出生以来体重几乎翻了一番，目前重达 48 公斤。

据曼代动物护理部门的管理员塞西莉亚·唐 (Cecilia Tang) 称，小牛和基萨拉 (Kisala) 最近被允许进入它们的户外栖息地，但小牛仍在适应新的环境。

“我们让他按照自己的节奏探索和建立自信，所以游客可能需要一段时间才能更多地了解他，”她说。

曼代表示，霍加狓是蹄类哺乳动物中妊娠期最长的动物之一，大约持续 440 天，而且它们天性非常难以捉摸。

与许多新生动物跟随母亲四处走动不同，霍加狓幼崽在出生后的最初几天里，自然而然地大部分时间都躲藏起来，一动不动，以避免被捕食者发现，它们的母亲一天只会回来几次哺乳。

在 Facebook 的一段视频中，Mandai 还展示了它建造的专用产犊箱，该产犊箱配有帘子，以支持小牛的自然行为。

根据国际自然保护联盟红色名录，霍加狓被列为濒危物种，原产于刚果民主共和国东北部。

根据另一篇 Facebook 帖子，想要了解更多关于该物种信息的人可以参加公园每天上午 10:30 和下午 3 点举行的霍加狓护林员讲解会。

公众可以帮助给小牛命名。

这只霍加狓幼崽至今还没有名字，曼代呼吁公众帮助它命名。

目前有三个候选人名单：

Imara——在斯瓦希里语中意为“坚强”，象征着勇气、韧性和成长。

Mayaka——在林加拉语中意为珍珠，象征着珍贵而值得珍藏的礼物。

Kiah——在斯瓦希里语中意为黎明、新的开始或季节的开始。

动物园表示，游客可以在9月30日之前在万代动物园的Facebook和Instagram页面上留言投票。

dana.leong@asiaone.com