Juveniles start taking solid food from three months, and weaning takes place at six months. The juveniles are kept in hiding, and nursing takes place infrequently.

The gestational period is around 440 to 450 days long, following which usually a single calf is born. In captivity, estrus cycles recur every 15 days. Rut in males and estrus in females does not depend on the season. Okapis are herbivores, feeding on tree leaves and buds, grasses, ferns, fruits, and fungi. They are essentially solitary, coming together only to breed. Okapis are primarily diurnal, but may be active for a few hours in darkness. Females possess hair whorls, and ossicones are absent. Male okapis have short, distinct horn-like protuberances on their heads called ossicones, less than 15 cm (5.9 in) in length. Its coat is a chocolate to reddish brown, much in contrast with the white horizontal stripes and rings on the legs, and white ankles. It has a long neck, and large, flexible ears. The okapi stands about 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) tall at the shoulder and has a typical body length around 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in). The okapi and the giraffe are the only living members of the family Giraffidae. Although the okapi has striped markings reminiscent of zebras, it is most closely related to the giraffe. It is the only species in the genus Okapia. The okapi ( / oʊ ˈ k ɑː p iː/ Okapia johnstoni), also known as the forest giraffe, Congolese giraffe and zebra giraffe, is an artiodactyl mammal that is endemic to the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa.

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