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Real Cryptids: OKAPI! | Lindsay Nikole

Lindsay Nikole | November 27, 2025



For decades, the okapi was treated like a myth, spoken of in whispers, dismissed by scientists, and lumped in with cryptids like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. Yet today, this mysterious striped “forest zebra” is very real and its story is way deeper than a simple discovery. Keep watching to find out how a whispered legend turning into a real scientific revelation.

Resources to learn, support, and help Congolese communities are linked below!

#LindsayNikole #cryptids #okapi

CONGO VIDEO RESOURCES:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXN7nmjplzQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6liCsCSUoM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4lFc43Yx4I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTkGsxPA1cY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IffpoUQpDc

HOW TO HELP CONGO:
https://panzifoundation.org/
https://www.gomactif.org/
https://gofund.me/3657d75d0
https://gofund.me/fb78a253b
https://gofund.me/e85fafb71

A huge thanks to Gian and Josh for the fantastic editing!

PATREON!!
https://www.patreon.com/lindsaynikole

Check out my Spooky Specimens Coloring Book here: https://a.co/d/8YCPRvh

NEW MERCH- https://lindsaynikole.com/

Oh! And I wrote a book, so definitely make sure to grab it—Epic Earth out now!
Order Here: https://a.co/d/54fdZqI

Don’t miss a video! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@LindsayNikole?sub_confirmation=1

ABOUT LINDSAY NIKOLE
Join zoologist Lindsay Nikole for vivid stories about evolution, animal behavior, and the wonderfully weird life around (and before) us. Each video dives into creatures you’ve never met and facts you’ll never forget, blending science with humor, visuals, and memorable explanations. From viral mystery IDs and prehistoric deep dives to myth-busting and conservation context, this channel makes complex biology easy and exciting to understand.

Follow Lindsay Nikole here:
Order Lindsay’s new book: https://geni.us/EpicEarth?brid=yl-xFobehfULq0HItSrw1g
Check out Lindsay’s Spooky Specimens Coloring Book here: https://a.co/d/8YCPRvh
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindsayNikoleTheZoologist
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Merch: https://www.lindsaynikole.com

Chapters:
00:00 The Okapi: From Myth to Reality
01:27 What Counts as a Cryptid?
03:03 Congo Exploration & Rumors
05:24 Stripes, Skins, and Mistaken Identities
07:18 An Unexpected Breakthrough
09:55 A Giraffe Cousin?!
11:10 Life of the Okapi
15:04 Wierd Okapi Facts!
16:24 The Okapi’s Endangered Future

Real Cryptids: OKAPI! | Lindsay Nikole
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrc2iv2-G1FZ3VscM3zu2jg

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Written by Lindsay Nikole

Comments

This post currently has 49 comments.

  2. @MachtPlays

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    Hey Lindsay, do you play bass or just dig the vibe?

    You should look up The Nova Twins, if you don’t already know who they are.

    It’s 2 girls who friggin shreddddd bass.

    Listen to Antagonist, the bass lines the shit.

  8. @rehnaanliker5931

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    I'm a small scale chocolate maker (Nuance check us out) and we get some of our beans from the Semuliki forest in Uganda, it's so sad but interesting to have more information on that area, thank you for another wonderful video and always using your platform to share

  11. @baileyderix5197

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    I’ve been a long time supporter and fan and have tried to grab something from every merch drop! I love love LOVE my sweatshirt from the first but the website wigged out when I tried to get this one and when I went back the next day the site wouldn’t let me order 🙁 would you think about rereleasing the hoodie since it was so close to Holidays?

  12. @swimmer8585

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    This channel, casual geographic, and mini minuteman are fantastic for actual learning. The internet made a generation of idiots. Thank you for starting the education revolution on these modern platforms

  16. @Burning_Dwarf

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    My local zoo only does conservation work, it has 2 okapi breeding pairs at the moment.
    Majestic af to see one, if you can even spot them in the enclosure.
    Not suprised that it took so long to discover them, and to photograph a wild one.

  23. @allisavercool227

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    Ah Leopold 2, the horrors boogaloo. If you ever read Heart of Darkness, all the horrors in it are the result of Leo 2's policies. Literally any horror you can think of, happened to the Congolese people because of this dude.

    Anyways, love the okapi, I am one in spirit, and all my limited access to support goes to the people who continue to be harmed by Leo 2's legacy

  33. @madsgrams2069

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    But the okapi is not related to the zebra…AT ALL. Zebras are basically "horses" (part of the Equus genus), while this thing is basically a giraffe. And giraffes are artiodactys, while horses are perissodactyls, which means that giraffes are literally more closely related to whales than they are to zebras.

  35. @Thepuddingcup

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    The one of the kraken looks uncomfortable behind your shoulder. I like the art, and think it has a place, just dont like the placement. Wanna see it always like the rest. 😅 still love ya 🖤

  36. @TophMaGoats

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    Every time a new species is discovered, almost inevitably that’s followed by their extinction shortly later. At this point if humans classifying things on earth the new species that are found are either in remote places or exist within very small geographical regions… by the time we get to them we’ve almost always destroyed their habitat

  37. @petrab.7780

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    the DRC should by all rights be the richest country on earth based only on its resources, but the legacies of colonialism mean that no matter how much its people are exploited for extraction, none of that wealth is retained in the country itself. It's frustrating to read even the few news articles that talk about the conflict because they can only name the most obvious actors such as the militias and armed DRC forces, but can say nothing of the corporate powers that are fueling all of it so they can continue using slave labour to extract everything they can from the soil.

    It's one of the greatest failures of humankind.

  44. @liahadams7796

    November 27, 2025 at 11:11 am

    I really appreciate highlighting the tragedy of the Congo, a book that really opened my eyes to what is happening is: “Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives” by Siddharth Kara. If you have the time to read it and you’re curious about what’s going on I highly recommend it.

Comments are closed.

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