An okapi, an African animal related to giraffes, died Saturday night after digestive problems, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore announced Monday.

Karen, who was 6 years old, stopped eating last week, said Mike McClure, the zoo's general curator.

Okapi (pronounced oh-KAH-pee) have short reddish-brown coats and white stripes, and are usually found in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A necropsy to determine the cause of death will be performed, but officials believe she was having a "gut stasis" issue, McClure said.

Okapi, like other ruminants, have four stomachs and chew cud — regurgitated, partially digested food. Karen had responded to treatment for gut motility issues in the past.

"It's very, very life-threatening" when the gut of a ruminant animal stops moving, he said. "It's always dangerous when this happens."

Zoo staff offered the 6-foot-tall Karen additional tree branches and leaves, including different varieties that might be more appealing, but "she wasn't interested in eating anything, unfortunately," McClure said. They also took her on walks to promote gut movement.

Zoo staff brought her into a restraint device to draw blood Saturday, but she was found dead late that night.

The approximately 80 okapi in American zoos are managed by the Okapi Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Karen, born at the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo in New York, was one of two kept at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Karen and Hiari, a 14-year-old male, were meant to be a breeding pair, McClure said.

It's not clear whether the organization will place another female at the Maryland Zoo.

However, the curator said okapi are not necessarily herd animals. Hiari will "be OK," McClure said.

Okapi facts

Average height: About 5 feet (to the shoulder)

Average weight: Males, 440-660 pounds; females, 495-770 pounds

Life span: 15 to 20 years in captivity, exceptionally up to 33 years

Habitat: Usually in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Diet: Mostly branches and leaves

Threatened status: Okapi are considered "near threatened," mainly because they are difficult to survey in the wild.

Source: San Diego Zoo and Baltimore Sun researcher Paul McCardell