Please refrain from writing in this journal unless you are Mr. Ainsley or Moreau himself.
First impressions - May the 4th, 1889
Nothing is known about this beast. It is neither deer nor zebra and is unknown to the rest of the world save for a few natives in Africa. It is of an unusual build, a dark brown body with white markings and small horns. It vaguely looks like a giraffe. The natives call it "okapi," so that is what it shall be called here for the sake of simplicity. I honestly would not know what else to call it.
It seems to be a very outgoing animal. Of note, it has an absurdly long blue tongue - I was at the recieving end of the animal's tongue the moment I got it off the boat, having stood near the cage it licked the back of my head and nearly knocked my hat off. I get the feeling this "okapi" will be pleasant to work with, as guilty as I feel for performing surgery on such a rare and almost mythical creature. In all honesty, however, I do not care for spending the extra money to ship it to England for study. It stays on the island.
One of the new arrivals, a young man named Dorian Ainsley, expressed interest in the beast. He was as pleasant in person as he was when we were holding written correspondence, and I felt right handing such a beautiful animal to him. I feel I can trust him in doing a good job civilizing this creature, it will certainly be interesting to hear what the okapi will have to say once the surgical process is completed. Mr. Ainsley was very willing and eager to work under my wing. I look forward to seeing his research.
Alphonse Moreau
