A RARE okapi calf has be born at Chester Zoo.

The male calf, which keepers have named Semuliki, arrived to first time mum K'tusha following a 15-month pregnancy.

It is also the first calf at Chester Zoo for 14-year-old dad Stomp.

Despite his zebra-like stripes on Semuliki's back legs, the okapi is actually the closed and only living relative to the giraffe.

Only found in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo where it faces a battle for survival despite being a national symbol and protected under Congolese law.

Curator of mammals at the zoo Tim Rowlands said: “With just 68 okapi in zoos in Europe, the safe arrival of this calf is a huge boost to the breeding programme for the species.

"K’tusha is proving to be a very relaxed and attentive mum to her first little calf.

“And vitally, the birth serves an important reminder of just how highly endangered these beautiful animals are.

“For a long time, their shy nature and their isolation in the deep forests of the DRC had kept the okapi safe.

"However, today, they are highly threatened by hunting and increasing levels of habitat destruction. Our conservation efforts are now vital for their long-term future.”

Populations have declined in the wild by nearly 50% over the past two decades and the species is now listed as endangered.

Conservationists are unsure of exactly how many okapi remain in the wild but experts are playing a key part in surveying the species in the wild in a bid to discover more about the shy animals.

Mike Jordan collections director said: “The biggest current threat to the okapi is hunting due to the presence of illegal armed groups and a growing bushmeat trade across nearly all of the okapi’s range.

"This insecurity is a major hurdle to effective conservation action in most areas.

“A heart-breaking example of this was in June 2012 when armed rebels attacked the headquarters of a reserve that the zoo supports - the Okapi Faunal Reserve (OFR) in the DRC’s Ituri forest – tragically killing seven people and the 15 okapi being cared for at the station.

"However, we won’t give up on these wonderful animals and Chester Zoo continues to fight for the species.

"We support our partners the Okapi Conservation Project and the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature, despite these difficult and dangerous conditions, to protect the OFR, a major stronghold for the species.”