Head to head
Bongo vs Okapi
The bongo and okapi are both striped, forest-dwelling mammals native to Central Africa, though they belong to entirely different families and were discovered by science under very different circumstances.
| Bongo | Okapi | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Tragelaphus eurycerus | Okapia johnstoni |
| Family | Bovidae (antelope) | Giraffidae (giraffe relative) |
| Striping | White stripes on chestnut body | Zebra-like stripes on legs only |
| Horns | Spiralled (both sexes) | Short, skin-covered (males only) |
| Discovery history | Long known to local peoples and science | Unknown to Western science until 1901 |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Endangered |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Habitat | Forest | Rainforest |
Bongo vs Okapi: common questions
Are the bongo and okapi related?
No, despite both being striped rainforest mammals from Central Africa, the bongo is an antelope belonging to the family Bovidae, while the okapi belongs to the giraffe family, Giraffidae, making them only distantly related at best.
Why was the okapi unknown to science for so long, unlike the bongo?
The okapi's dense rainforest habitat and solitary, secretive behaviour kept it hidden from Western science until 1901, a much later formal discovery than the more long-documented bongo.
How do the stripes of the bongo and okapi differ?
The bongo has white vertical stripes running across its entire chestnut-coloured body, while the okapi's stripes are limited to zebra-like markings on its legs, with the rest of its body a more uniform dark colour.