Discovering the Okapi

A history of the okapi, revealing how Western science and Indigenous knowledge intertwine to shape understanding, discovery, and conservation of this elusive Congo rainforest mammal. In Discovering the Okapi, Simon Pooley offers a fascinating portrait of the okapi – an elusive short-necked giraffid with zebra stripes, surviving in the rainforests of central Africa’s Congo basin – and unpacks the complex layers of Western science and Indigenous knowledge that have shaped the world’s understanding of this unique creature. Pooley tells the story of the okapi’s ‘discovery’ in 1900 by British naturalist Sir Harry Johnston, as well as the overlooked contributions of the Indigenous African people whose expertise made this sighting and the subsequent hunt for specimens possible. The book traces how colonial politics and scientific racism shaped early accounts of researching the animal and examines the enduring biases that continue to influence conservation efforts today. The okapi has become a symbol of scientific curiosity, colonial power, and conservation challenges, revealing complex intersections among biodiversity, cultural heritage, and environmental stewardship. Its precarious existence in captivity and the wild exposes how Western and Indigenous approaches to conservation can – and must – find common ground for its survival.