The 18^th October is World Opaki Day and a great chance to celebrate the opaki and to find out more about the species!

#WorldOkapiDay
#WOD2022
#OkapiConservation 

Opakis are found deep in the heart of Africa, right in the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Threats to the opaki are many, despite the protected status the opaki received in 1933

• slash-and-burn agriculture
• illegal goal mining
• bush-meat poaching

Since the opaki is found in deep, dense jungles, it acts as a flagship species to protect the forest ecosystem in which it lives.

The day is a chance to people to celebrate and find out more about the endangered opaki.  The Opaki Conservation Project has a social media toolkit to help you celebrate and share the day – it will be a great way to raise awareness of the opaki.

Ways you can help the opaki on World Opaki Day:

1. Find out all about the opaki – the Opaki Conservation Project has lots of information
   
   
2. Find out about the Opaki Conservation Project and share the work they do
   
   
3. Learn about the Opaki Wildlife Reserve which helps to protect the habitat of the opaki, and preserve rare plant and animal life, and also the lifestyle and culture of indigenous people.  Encompassing 13,700 square kilometres, it is one of the most important centres of plant and animal diversity in Africa.
   
   
4. You could donate to the project or become an opaki guardian!
   
   

Protecting the opaki’s home on the reserve means also protecting the homes of opaki, forest elephants, chimpanzees, leopard, primates, forest buffalo, bongo antelope and water chevrotain.  There’s also an incredible range of birds and insects.

Please share all about it on social media.  Here are the hashtags:

Facebook: @OkapiConservationProject 

Instagram: @OkapiConservation 

Twitter: @OkapiProject