First photos of African 'unicorn' captured

Posted on Thursday, 11 September, 2008 | 8 comments

An African animal so rarely seen it was once believed to be a mythical unicorn has been caught on camera in the wild for the first time.The okapi, a deer-like creature with the long blue tongue of a giraffe and the rear of a zebra, was only discovered at the beginning of the 20th century when a British explorer sent a skin home to London.

View: Full article |

Source: The Telegraph

Discuss: View comments (8)

<< Previous article
Ghost snapped in church window

Next article >>
Superstitions evolved to help us survive

Other news in this category

Water vapour a major cause of climate change

Posted 1-31-2010 | 37 comments
A new study has revealed that water vapour high in the atmosphere plays a crucial role in influencing world temperatures....

Chimpanzees shoot their own movie with "chimpcam"

Posted 1-25-2010 | 12 comments
A new experiment at Edinburgh zoo has allowed a group of chimpanzees to film their own movie with a special camera....

Dog alerts owner after sensing earthquake

Posted 1-17-2010 | 14 comments
Amazing CCTV footage has been released showing a dog warning its owner after seemingly sensing an imminent earthquake....

Lizards' camouflage reveals evolution

Posted 1-16-2010 | 10 comments
Two species of lizard that have developed white scales for camouflage are giving scientists a chance to see evolution in action....

Tourist killed by "dinosaur sized" shark

Posted 1-15-2010 | 40 comments
A tourist has been killed at Fish Hoek beach in Cape Town after being eaten by a "dinosaur sized" great white shark....

Sheep gives birth to lamb with "human face"

Posted 1-14-2010 | 46 comments
A sheep in Turkey has given birth to a dead lamb with a human-like face thought to be the result of a rare mutation....

Big freeze could signal global warming "pause"

Posted 1-12-2010 | 687 comments
Scientists believe that the current freezing winter conditions in Britain and other parts of the world could signal a global warmi...

Rare self-rolling snow balls found in UK

Posted 1-9-2010 | 14 comments
Large self-rolling snowballs are a phenomenon usually found in remote, frozen regions but now they are turning up in the UK....

Dolphins to be classed "non-human persons" ?

Posted 1-3-2010 | 43 comments
Dolphins have been declared to be the world's second most intelligent species, should they also be considered "people" ?...

Feeding birds 'changes evolution'

Posted 12-27-2009 | 16 comments
Researchers have revealed that the act of putting food out for the birds can result in a whole new evolutionary path. European bla...

Christmas trees show up with live 'ornaments'

Posted 12-21-2009 | 18 comments
Colored balls and tinsel might be regular adornments for Christmas trees this festive season but residents in Anchorage are being ...

Tiny insect brains can solve big problems

Posted 11-18-2009 | 21 comments
Studies have shown that despite having tiny brains the size of a pinhead insects possess several impressive mental capabilities fr...

View: More news in this category

Recent comments on this story

#4 Posted by Owlscrying on 11 September, 2008, 8:23
How beautiful.Although now highlighted as a rare species, I feel will be hunted...to extinction.However, the okapi is no relation of the quagga, horse, donkey, or zebra. Its closest taxonomic relative is the giraffe.QuaggaThe Okapi is included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is consid...

#5 Posted by Guyver on 11 September, 2008, 9:21
You can see an Okapi in the zoo but it's just being photographed in the wild for the first time! I wonder what the implication is here for other shy, rare animals? The yeti? Who knows - maybe we'll finally catch one on film one day.....

#6 Posted by Obsin on 11 September, 2008, 12:46
Thanks a lot Belgium (I recommend the book "King Leopold's Ghost" and a quick google search on the history of the Congo) for messing up the Congo region so bad the people are still messed today and consequently so much is being lost to the world like this critter (not to mention the go...

#7 Posted by kobie on 12 September, 2008, 3:46
i wonder wot it tastes like....?

#8 Posted by theQ on 18 September, 2008, 8:30
SO.....a deer like animal that has a slight bony growth qualifies as a unicorn? This is the same sort of thinking that creates false religions and other fantasies.

View: All comments (8) |

Discuss: Add comment

On the forum

Camouflaged gecko poses as a tree branch

Genes that give butterflies identical wings

Slow snails are quick to make new species

Stars urge Indians to save the tiger

Vampire Squid Turns "Inside Out"

Fisheries endanger med dolphins

Scientist solve porbeagle birth mystery

How a photographer coaxed a kingfisher to

Europe moves closer to Bluefin tuna ban