If I was pinned down and asked what animals interest me the most, I would have to list gorilla's, followed by Okapi, Bongo, Birds of Prey, and Egyptian Arabians. Imagine they only discovered the Okapi in 1900. I had the above photo for years, and never knew what zoo it was from. All books will tell you who had them but that is all. I found the below post card and it answered for me where the above Okapi was from.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Okapi--Bronx Zoo
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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18 comments:
Tale of the discovery of the Okapi is great fun. The last really large mammal to be properly "discovered." Of course cryptozoologists use it to justify belief in bigfoot or the loch ness monster. But if they didn't have okapi they'd use something else.
Ben
Ben,
Soon it won't be the last large mammal properly discovered. I understand they are weeks away from dropping a net on a Yeti. Which will be great, because I don't believe in bigfoots and loch ness monsters. Be safe my friend,
Wade
FYI Ben,
Paul mentions a mule bred to a horse that produced a cyclops stillborn foal. Let Zyijeck know, he may be interested in experimenting. LOL
Wade
i have some pics of some okapis and i do you mind if i send them so your readers may see them .it may be a day or 2 since i am away from home but as soon as i get home i can send them ,CleanRaul
Clean Raul,
As long as it is not pictures of "Okapi tamales" we would love to see them. Send them to wburck3@aol.com
When did you work at Catskill Game Farm?
Regards,
Wade
Nice bum.
no okapi tamales just pics that were taken when i was in a zoo working (dont ask what zoo cause i dont want to get any one in trouble .)anyway so i had some pics of the okapis and i togeather . arent they fasinating spices to bad there country of origin is in such a turnmoil with wars . hope thet survive .
To Wade my ex and i were there in 78 and 79. shame that place close up but like anything else all good things have to come to an end . i miss Dr. Heck the Lindmans and all the rest of there working crew . i learn so much from them.our house was in the property every morning from our window we see the animals that Linndeman was doing research with . Tarpons and the Spanish Oryx that went to extiction which they were trying to bring back by breeding backwards .those were the real good old days . we gave it up because my ex had to return to Cornell and graduate and i back to the mudshows .
Clean Raul,
My second wife gave me the choice of her or the animals in 1993. I haven't regretted my decision for a second.
Wade
Clean Raul,
Send the photos. If I can't interpret the location, give me a hint. If the shoe fits, let them wear it. Yes, the Linndemans and Heck were special. Legends in the captive animal field. Do you know Eddy Novak from Catskill? I still deal with him, and just talked to him last week.
Wade
Wade - What do you think of Brookfield Zoo? They have okapi there according to their website.
Jeannie
Jeannie,
Brookfield is a great zoo, and was ahead of it time, with the larger outdoor exhibits, and years ago attempted mechanical "stimuli" in the feline exhibits, to encourage movement, but their Tropic World is a disappointment, compared to what other institution's have done along those lines. I commented to you on Buckles blog about your suggestion that there is a difference in measurements between men and women, but he censored it. I said, that you were right, when ever I tell a women it is 12 in. she tells her friends it is 4 in. LOL
Best wishes,
Wade
Wade when i was there Eddy was working for Jurgen Schultz who was married to Kathy Linndman . At that time Eddy was driving around with a chimp . i consider him tops in the animal transport bussiness cant go wrong with him .ex Zoo, retiredmudshow houseboyRaul ps pics will be on the way when i get back to the states .
Wade seems like you and i have something in common . my ex said the same one time when Benny Williams stop by the farm and ask me to go to the Big apple circus so when i announce my desion well the rest is history last i heard she is a vet surgeon in the Bronx Zoo and i taking care of our 12 horses we have and 8 cats getting old and fibble minded and nursing all my aches and pains from old war marks and but over all no regreats i am glad and will never walk on anyone elses shoes . Proud of my life Raul
Clean Raul,
Eddy has his own exotic transport business. He can haul anything from giraffe to rhinos, to elephants, to orangutans in his personally designed trailer. I a have some great stories of Eddy and I catching elk and deer. Everytime I do something with Eddy, within 10 minutes neither one of us can see with the tears in our eyes. Funny, funny guy to work with.
Wade
I haven't ever met the gentlemen, but have heard some stories of Eddy's travels. For instance, driving down the interstate cutting down stopsigns with a blowtorch to weld them in his truck to reinforce it for some particularly troublesome guests. lol What a character.
Ryan,
Eddy is truly the "master of improvisation."
Wade
Does everyone know the story of how the okapi was discovered, I think in 1901, by Sir Harry Johnston, the governor of Uganda? He was repatriating a group of pygmies who had been abducted to the Belgian-Congo be shown at an exhibition in Paris. The ancient Egyptians knew of the okapi's existence.
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