New review

I appreciated these comments by Irene Camerlink in the review in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 303 (2026):

"The book, written by Simon Pooley, is not just about the Okapi but about its discovery in Africa and the subsequent debates on its phenology and behaviour, and the attempts to keep Okapi in Europe and the US. This is what makes the book even more fascinating, as it does not only show the research related to the animal, but also the efforts surrounding it and reasoning behind it." [By phenology, I wonder if phylogenetics, or taxonomy, is meant?]

I admit to being baffled by the following however: "As the book is written in a chronological order, information given in the beginning, relating to the early years, later turns out to be false. Therefore the main pitfall of the book is that the reader may pick up wrong information when reading only the first chapters and not the later ones." Yet the reviewer admits to being fascinated by the history, notes that early chapters "are mostly about the discovery and early expeditions to learn about the species," and is observes that the current knowledge is summarised in two chapters clearly so identified.

I was pleased that Irene picked up on how "The book addresses ... how Western researchers (or explorers) profited on local knowledge and resources," continuing that "I hope that this book is a reminder for the importance of supporting and giving back to these communities, where the native population is often marginalised."

The review concludes that: "the book provides an interesting glimpse into the world of the Okapi ... is easy to read and surprisingly engaging. Regardless of whether the reader has interest in the Okapi as a species, the book provides a good read for researchers in both animal and human sciences, lay people and nature explorers."