When will April the Giraffe give birth?
Wouldn't we all like to know.
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Sunday morning update:
This morning, keepers report increased discharge, continued lack of interest in food, full udders. April also continues to be a bit out of character. We continue to watch and wait.
Keepers feel they will be able to get the giraffes yard time today, as yard conditions have returned to safe and temperatures promise to climb from the 30s to 50s today. Perhaps that will "shake" things up!
Here's the Saturday evening update:
Joke is on us!
I would be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for an April Fools baby!
Though the evening is not over, April's relaxed nature and lack of urgency has us guessing we will get through midnight before the calf joins us.
April continues to ignore her grain, zones in and out of awareness, exhibits soft contraction indications, and is even producing manure size and consistency hinting of a birth - though we are not yet in what we will call "active labor". Our big girl is comfortable, confident, and continues to keep her composure - better than the rest of us!
Here's the Friday morning update from her keepers Animal Adventure Park:
The staff have been onsite with April all morning, Dr Tim was called and onsite within minutes. All observations, behavior, and predictions suggest a calf today, tonight - we would be shocked to get through the weekend without our newest addition.
This is what we have all been waiting for!
- Watch the live stream of April above.
Here's another update from Thursday morning:
Like many of you, we spent the evening watching our April. She continues to progress. Mammary development stays remains as filled udders, and will likely not get much Larger. Discharge continues to be present. Appetite is so - so this morning. We continue calf countdown.
Here is the update from Dr. Tim on Wednesday evening:
"Ok Gang... if you have been watching today, you should start getting excited... we are seeing almost all the signs of birth happening within the coming days... of course, my schedule is crazy for the next few days so naturally, we will pick the worst time possible. Hah. In an effort to speed things along I am launching "Operation Taco Induction"... let's see what happens. (Not in Labor...) yet. - disclaimer - she didn't actually get a taco. I'm not ridiculous."
Background from AP:
A pregnant giraffe has its own website, a GoFundMe page, an apparel line and millions of people worldwide watching live-streaming video waiting for it to give birth.
The 15-year-old long-legged YouTube star, named April, is expected to give birth any time now in her enclosed pen at the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, rural upstate village 130 miles northwest of New York City.
Since the privately owned zoo's giraffe cam began live-streaming video from April's enclosure last month, the feed has totaled more than 15 million views on YouTube as people around the world check on the status of
April's 15-month pregnancy. The birth of April's fourth calf was still pending as of Thursday, when the live video had about 115,000 people looking in.
"Instead of local or regional we're global," said Cortney Whalen, a spokeswoman for zoo owner Jordan Patch. "It has definitely broadened the general awareness of the park."
In videos posted on the park's Facebook page this week, Patch has said that he's been busy tending to his 200-plus other animals and that the flood of emails has become "so overbearing" that he's asking people to stop sending them.
A GoFundMe page set up for April, giraffe father Oliver and their calf has raised more than $23,000 out of a goal of $50,000. Whalen said the park also has received separate donations, but she said she didn't know how much. All the money will be used to feed, house and care for the giraffes.
April's website, aprilthegiraffe.com, includes a link for buying apparel from baby clothing to adult-sized hoodies imprinted with a giraffe's head and "#Aprils View Crew" along with the park's name and location.
The park's live stream was interrupted briefly last week when YouTube pulled the feed after someone reported the images contained explicit material and nudity. Patch blamed "a handful of extremists and animal rights activists" for the interruption.
Giraffes can be in labor anywhere from hours to a full day. April was elsewhere when she gave birth to her first three calves, and this one will be the Harpursville zoo's first giraffe calf. Patch plans to hold an online naming competition for the baby after it's born.
- April is 15 – her 4th calf
- Oliver is 5 – his 1st calf
- The calf will weigh around 150lb and will be about 6′ tall at birth
- Giraffes are pregnant for 15 months
- Those “things” on their heads are called ossicones
- This is Animal Adventure’s first giraffe calf