This emoji is an okapi, a mammal native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. It is related to the giraffe and has a similar striped pattern on its legs and neck. Read more
This emoji is not particularly popular and is used sparingly on social media. It is most likely to be used by younger generations, particularly those who are more familiar with the okapi. It is not a rude emoji and is usually used to express surprise, happiness, or affection.
The okapi emoji was first introduced in 2018 as part of the Unicode 11.0 update. It is one of the few animal emojis that is not a domesticated animal, and one of the few that is not a cartoon character. It is most commonly used on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.