An okapi is a rare animal that lives in the dense rainforests of central Africa. At first glance, an okapi looks like it might be related to a zebra because of the bold black and white stripes on its legs and rear end. But those stripes are actually camouflage, helping the okapi blend into the shadows and sunlight patterns of the forest floor.

Despite those zebra-like stripes, the okapi is actually the closest living relative of the giraffe. Like giraffes, okapis have long necks (though not nearly as long), dark tongues that can reach up to 18 inches to grab leaves, and small horn-like bumps called ossicones on their heads. Their bodies are chocolate brown with white markings, and they stand about five to six feet tall at the shoulder.

Okapis are so shy and live in such remote forests that scientists outside the region didn't know they existed until 1901. They're sometimes called “forest giraffes” or even “African unicorns” because they seemed almost mythical before their discovery. Today, okapis are endangered, with only about 10,000 to 20,000 left in the wild, making every sighting precious to scientists studying these elusive creatures.