Despite being large animals, okapids leave minimal footprints. Their hooves are shaped to distribute weight evenly. Soft forest soil absorbs their steps quietly. This reduces trail visibility. Predators and humans struggle to follow them. Their movement leaves little evidence behind.
This makes tracking and research extremely difficult. It also protects them from hunters.
It shows how locomotion can evolve for stealth. Size does not always mean noise.
Some trackers compare okapi tracks to vanishing footprints.
National Geographic (nationalgeographic.com)