We've captured the birth of a rare African 'unicorn' on camera

We've captured the birth of an okapi here at the zoo on CCTV cameras.

The precious calf was born in the early hours on 6 May to mum Ada, and dad Stomp, following a 14-month pregnancy. The footage shows the calf falling to the ground in the dramatic fashion, before clambering to its feet only minutes later and taking its first wobbly steps - a special moment that very few people in the world have ever witnessed.

Zookeepers have now revealed that the calf is male and they’ve named him Miloli, which translates to ‘Joy’ in Bantu, a family of languages spoken in central Africa.

Having spent the first few weeks of life in a quiet, hidden nest, the shy youngster has gained in confidence and stepped into the sunshine for his first outdoor adventure. Found only in the dense rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the okapi is so elusive that it went undiscovered to western science until 1901. As a result, they’ve been nicknamed the ‘African unicorn’.

She continued: “Miloli has spent the first few weeks of life tucked away in a quiet nest area, bonding with mum Ada as she forages for food nearby, periodically returning to feed her new youngster with milk – she’s a doting mum and is doing everything perfectly so far which is just great to see.

Although it looks like Miloli is sporting black and white stripey socks, these patterns play an important role as, now that he’s gained enough confidence to do so, he has followed the stripes on his mum’s hind legs and has she lead him out of the nest to begin exploring their outdoor habitat for the first time together.”

The okapi is the national symbol of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is protected under Congolese law. Despite this, its population has declined by more than 50% over the last 20 years - driven by illegal hunting for their meat and skins, widespread habitat loss and the civil conflict in the country.

The world’s authority on the state of nature, The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has classified the species as Endangered on its Red List of Threatened Species.

She continued: "These findings have already been used to support the wider international conservation breeding programme that’s safeguarding okapi populations from extinction."

The zoo’s experts are also working alongside its partners at the Uganda Wildlife Authority to conduct surveys for okapis in Semuliki National Park, Uganda, which borders the DRC. The zoo is also a long-term supporter of the Okapi Conservation Project that is based at the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Ituri Forest, DRC.