OKAPIA was founded in 1954 by the wildlife photographers and film makers Michael Grzimek and his father Professor Dr. Bernhard Grzimek. The company started by making and marketing wildlife documentary films. Amongst their best known documentaries are "Kein Platz für wilde Tiere" and "Serengeti darf nicht sterben". Both movies won several international prices, have been translated in 26 languages and have been watched by several million. Their film "Serengeti darf nicht sterben" is the only German language documentary film that received an Oscar. 

Michael and Professor Dr. Bernhard Grzimek took a lot of photographs during the making of "Serengeti darf nicht sterben" for publicity purposes and to illustrate their books. Those images became the basic stock of OKAPIA picture agency.

 Following Michael Grzimek’s tragic death in a plane crash during the making of "Serengeti darf nicht sterben" his wife Erika became OKAPIA managing director. Under her guidance the company flourished and developed into one of Europe’s leading wildlife picture agencies. As it grew OKAPIA started to handle the work of professional wildlife photographers such as Joan and Alan Root, Dr. Norman Myers, Tom Bledsoe and others.

 In 1980 Christian Grzimek, Erika and Michael’s son, joined the management of OKAPIA. From this point the agency opened up to even more wildlife photographers and developed a close working relationship between the photographers of the Association Of German Wildlife Photographers.

 Today the name OKAPIA still stands for excellent wildlife images and an outstanding professional service provided by the staff of the agency’s main house in Frankfurt. However OKAPIA can offer its customers today a far wider range of subjects than just wildlife. Over recent years additional departments for medicine, science, geology, botany, food, travel and people stock pictures have been developed. Today OKAPIA has become a universal picture library and agency, able to offer its customers of almost subject required.

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