Rainforest Wild Adventure Welcomes Southeast Asia’s First Okapi Calf

Rainforest Wild Adventure has welcomed a significant new arrival with the birth of Southeast Asia’s first okapi calf.

The male calf was born on the morning of 27 July 2026 to first time parents Kisala, aged seven, and Xandor, aged four. The pair arrived in Singapore under the EAZA Ex situ Programme (EEP), a coordinated breeding programme for threatened species. Now nearly two months old, the calf has more than doubled its birth weight and weighs a healthy 48kg.

Okapis have one of the longest gestation periods among hoofed mammals, lasting around 440 days, or 14 to 15 months. The species is also known for being highly elusive, a behaviour that begins from an early age.

Unlike many newborn animals that follow their mothers, young okapis naturally spend much of their early lives hidden and still to avoid predators. Their mothers return only a few times a day to nurse them. Newborn calves are also believed to have very little scent during this period, providing an additional layer of protection while they remain concealed.

To support this natural behaviour, the Rainforest Wild Adventure team built a quiet and secluded calving box where the calf can rest and feed without disturbance during its first few months. The setup was informed by husbandry practices used by other zoological institutions that have successfully bred okapis.

Listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, okapis are native to the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Only a limited number of zoos worldwide care for the species.

Okapis are the closest living relatives of giraffes and share several characteristics with them, including long, flexible tongues and ossicones, the bony, horn-like structures found on male okapis.

The public can also help choose the calf’s name through voting on Facebook and Instagram via @MandaiWildlifeReserve. The three options are Imara, meaning strong and reflecting courage, resilience and growth in Swahili; Mayaka, meaning pearl and symbolising a precious and treasured gift in Lingala; and Kiah, meaning dawn, new beginnings, or the start of a season in Swahili.

Guests visiting Hidden Forest at Rainforest Wild Adventure East may be able to see Kisala and her calf, while Xandor can be spotted in a separate nearby habitat. As the calf continues to settle into its surroundings, it may retreat to its off-exhibit den. Visitors can still catch glimpses through a live baby monitor feed from the den.

Daily Okapi Ranger Talks are also held at 10.30am and 3pm, giving guests an opportunity to learn more about the species and its distinctive behaviours from keepers.

The new arrival is being marked with okapi themed offerings across the precinct. An okapi inspired cake will be available from October at selected dining outlets, including Rangers Pitstop and Rangers Retreat at the adventure-based wildlife park and Owa Bistro at Mandai Wildlife East. Guests can also find okapi themed souvenirs at the retail shop at Rainforest Wild Adventure East, including soft toys, tumblers and lanyards.

The okapi is not the only new arrival at Rainforest Wild Adventure. A sitatunga, a swamp dwelling antelope known for its chestnut coat, faint vertical white stripes and horizontal white stripe along its lower side, has joined the animals at Red Ravine.

Lemur Land will also progressively introduce more lemur species, with crowned lemurs and red bellied lemurs expected to debut by November. Their arrival will bring the total number of lemur species in the Madagascan themed rainforest to four.

WildPass members can enjoy local admission rates to Rainforest Wild Adventure, starting from S$25 for senior citizens, S$32 for children aged three to 12 and local students aged 25 and below, and S$45 for adults.