Sir Harry Johnston was a British explorer who served as a colonial administrator in various parts of Africa. He was also known for his studies of natural history and languages.
Intrigued by the explorer Stanley’s account of a “donkey-like forest animal,” he obtained pieces of striped skin from people of the Congo forest in 1901. This led to the discovery of the okapi, and his name lives on in its scientific name, Okapia johnstoni.
