A closed-door decision by Masterton District Council has given a stay of execution to the Ōpaki Water Race.

The Sacramento Zoo is excited to share that on October 9, Kivuli, our female okapi, successfully gave birth to a healthy male okapi calf! This is the first okapi birth in Sacramento Zoo history. Kivuli and the calf are healthy. The pair will be off exhibit and not visible to the public for the next few weeks, to give both mom and calf time to adjust. Our animal care team and veterinary staff are observing the two closely during this period, and human interaction is limited to essential staff at this time. Okapi are Endangered according to the IUCN, with an estimated wild population between 10,000 to 15,000. The closest living relative to the giraffe, okapi are found in central Africa.The Sacramento Zoo works with the AZA’s Species Survival Plan (SSP) for okapi, which works with institutions to sustain okapi populations in North America. Within AZA, there are less than 100 okapis across around 30 institutions. This birth is not just an important milestone for the Sacramento Zoo, but a key contribution to AZA’s SSP and global conservation. This successful birth reflects teamwork across our animal care team, veterinary staff, facilities staff, horticulture team, nutrition, development, and leadership.