The Okapi is a herbivorous animal meaning that it survives on a diet that is only comprised of plant matter. They eat leaves, shoots and twigs that are drawn into their mouths using their long prehensile tongue along with fruits, berries and other plant parts.

What trees do okapis eat?

An okapi eats only leaves.

Although the okapi eats new leaves, its diet is mainly of fully mature leaves. It avoids,however, old leaves that are covered with “epiphylls”, or mosses and algae. Nor do okapis eat any of the non-woody, mainly large-leaved herbs of the forest floor.

What do okapis get eaten by?

While it's not clear how many remain in the wild, scientists estimate that populations may have been slashed in half over the past two decades. Though the leopard is the okapi's chief predator in the wild, human hunters pose a greater threat to the okapi's existence.