Can an okapi be cross bred with a zebra or giraffe?

So any biologist worth his or her salt will tell you: The two are simply too far apart for giraffe-zebra hybrids to be possible. Thus, it is not surprising that there ... Okapis also produce high levels of abnormal sperm, which is consistent with the idea that they are the products of a distant hybrid cross. read more

No, Okapi are the closest living relatives to giraffes, but they aren't close enough to interbreed. Zebra are perssiodactyls (odd toed ungulates), while giraffe and okapi are artiodactyls, even toed ungulates. They aren't even in the same mammalian order. read more

Okapis mix traits otherwise seen only separately either in the giraffe or in the zebra, and under ordinary circumstances this fact would constitute strong evidence that okapis are giraffe-zebra hybrids. Moreover, old news reports say that peoples native to the region where the okapi occurs believe it to be a giraffe-zebra hybrid. read more

The okapi’s closet relative is actually the giraffe. Their shape is similar to that of a giraffe, but with a shorter neck. It has a long, flexible tongue. The tongue is so long that the animal can washits eyelids and ears. They are big over 8 feet long and can stand up to 6.5 feet high. They are also called the African unicorn. read more