A rare, endangered okapi born at the Cincinnati Zoo

(CNN) — A member of a rare and endangered species related to the giraffe was recently born at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, zoo officials said.

Zoo officials announced that the okabi, a male, was born on December 17 to parents Kuwa and Kiloro. A press release.

“This is Kuva's fourth calf and she is an amazing mother,” Cincinnati Zoo Senior Keeper Renee Carpenter said in the release. “She attends to the little one's every need. The calf looks strong and healthy. It's so soft and fluffy.”

The mother and cub continue to bond behind the scenes during the winter, and zoo officials say visitors can see them in the zoo's okabi courtyard.

The young okabi is the 18th born at the Cincinnati Zoo since 1989. Zoos estimate that there are about 15,000 okabi worldwide. Habitat destruction and poaching have harmed the species' populations.

Appears as Okapis Endangered On the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Animals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are close relatives of the giraffe. The species share a similar body structure, but okapis have shorter necks.

They are characterized by a reddish brown color with black and white horizontal stripes on their four legs.

“These unique markings help cubs follow their mothers through the dense forest,” the zoo's statement said.

Okapis can grow up to 2.4 meters tall They live up to 16 yearsAccording to the zoo.