Geographic habitat analogy: “Cougar : South America :: Okapi : ?” Select the region most closely associated with the okapi’s native range.

Introduction / Context:Habitat analogies link species to their native geographic ranges. Cougars (also called pumas) inhabit the Americas, including South America. The okapi is a distinctive mammal related to the giraffe and has a much narrower native distribution.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Cougar → South America (among other American regions).
• Okapi → endemic to the Congo Basin region.
• We seek the broad region label that best describes the okapi’s range.

Concept / Approach:The okapi is native to the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The appropriate regional description is “Central Africa,” which captures that distribution succinctly and accurately for GK/analogy purposes.

Step-by-Step Solution:1) Match species to region at similar granularity.2) Select “Central Africa” for okapi’s native habitat.3) Ensure parallelism with “Cougar : South America.”

Verification / Alternative check:Wildlife references consistently place the okapi’s natural range in the Congo Basin of Central Africa.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• India/Pakistan/Southeast Asia/North America: Not the native range of okapi.

Common Pitfalls:Confusing okapi with other African ungulates; the okapi’s range is notably localized to Central Africa.

Final Answer:Central Africa