The Okapi

The okapis currently live in the Ituri Rainforest in the Democratic Republic of Congo and are endemic species. They are herbivores and have long, prehensile, tongues like their relatives the giraffe. They have independent ears and have an acute sense of hearing to sense predators. They have stripes on their limbs, which serve as camouflage and identification. I hypothesize that if okapis survive in the future; because of deforestation, they will have to come out of the shelter of the forest, and into the open. They will be more social and travel in herds for safety. They will become noticeably bigger, with longer and stronger legs to kick their predators. Their ossicones will become longer and more horn-like, to defend themselves. Their fur will become a lighter brown, compared to their current dark brownish-black fur. They will not lose their stripes, it will just be faded because that is their identification.