An okapi is an animal that resembles a deer but with zebra-like stripes. This animal lives among dense flora in the rainforest, full of pointy branches that can poke their googly eyes.

But luckily, the okapi has evolved to overcome this occupational hazard. IFL Science reported that okapis have learned to suck their eyeballs back into their heads to avoid any possible eye injury.

[WATCH] This is How An Okapi Suck in Its Eyeballs to Avoid Eye Injury in the Wild
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
An Okapi roaming at Zoo Leipzig


Okapi's Eye Sucking Defense Mechanism

A video posted in Oklahoma City Zoo's TikTok account showed the eye-sucking defense mechanism of the okapi. The video featured one of the zoo's resident okapis, showing how it sucks in its eyeballs back into its skull to enable the nictitating membrane to sweep across the eyeball. Here's a video of this amazing defense mechanism:

According to Science Direct, the nictitating membrane is the third eyelid present in many animals, like tree frogs, to protect their eyes and keep them moist. It also allows the eyes to be open in saltwater.

As remarkable as it looks, the okapi is equipped with several adaptations that make them equipped to live in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although their eye-sucking behavior might be disgusting to watch, it is undeniably effective as it helps them to freely roam through the dense vegetation while also keeping their eyes safe.

Moreover, the dark coat in their upper body helps them blend into their environment, and their zebra-like stripes help break up their silhouette in the undergrowth to help them be close by with their mothers while on the move.

They also have tongues that measure up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) that help them clean any part of their body, even their eyes. But most importantly, it gives them extra reach when looking for food.

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Okapi Classified as Endangered Species

The okapi is listed under the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN), according to National Geographic. Scientists estimated that their population had been slashed in half in the past 20 years, although how many of them remain in the wild remains unclear.

Aside from their primary predator, the leopard, humans also pose a great threat to them. In 2012, a militia group killed 14 okapis at the headquarters of the Okapi Conservation Project. Poachers are interested in their meat and skin, making it increasingly challenging for the government to enforce wildlife protection laws.

The Okapi Conservation Project was founded in 1987, supporting the World Heritage Site of Okapi Wildlife Reserve, where 5,000 okapis live. The organization protects these endangered species by detaining poachers and monitoring agricultural expansion that harms their habitats.

Other organizations are also helping in their conservation by implementing a decade-long strategy to reduce illegal activity and prevent the extinction of okapi.

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