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Zoo Gives Update on Live Stream Giraffe, Unveils ‘April' Emojis as Fan Base Grows

Tens of millions of people across the globe have tuned into the live stream in anticipation of the birth of April's fourth calf

What to Know

  • Tens of millions of people worldwide have been watching the stream in anticipation of the birth of "April" the giraffe's fourth calf
  • Her story was vaulted into global headlines after activists complaining of "nudity" got the live stream yanked from YouTube last week
  • The live stream was back online about an hour and a half after the brouhaha started

STATUS CHECK: April the Giraffe Getting Restless as Birth Nears

Everyone's favorite giraffe is doing just fine as she awaits the birth of her fourth calf at an upstate New York zoo, though the zoo teased the millions who have been watching April's live stream in its latest Facebook update.

"Babies babies everywhere!" the Animal Adventure Park posted Wednesday morning. "Just not yet in the giraffe barn."

The Harpursville zoo, which unveiled April-inspired emojis and t-shirts as the fan base for the 15-year-old long-necked beauty continues to swell, said twin Barbados lambs and a Patagonian Cavy were born early Wednesday.

New York's Pregnant Giraffe April Captured on Camera in the Final Throes of Pregnancy

Over the last week, April has captivated tens of millions of people across the world who have been checking in on her via the live stream. Some 78,000 people were tuned in to the stream by 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Watch it above.

April's pregnancy was catapulted into global headlines last week after YouTube briefly yanked the zoo's live stream following complaints by animal activists that it violated the site's policies concerning "nudity and sexual content." Thousands upon thousands of commenters voiced their frustration on Facebook and YouTube, and the stream was restored within an hour or so. 

We visited April the giraffe at Animal Adventure Park to see how she and her keepers were getting on ahead of the birth of her new calf.

The spotted beauty was up early Wednesday, slinking about her hay-laden home and nuzzling her next-door companion. Over the weekend, she treated viewers with a direct gaze into the camera, wiggling her ears as she chewed her breakfast. Once she goes into active labor, zoo officials say the keepers will go in to help her.

Giraffe pregnancies last for 15 months. Labor lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The calf will be about 150 pounds and 6 feet tall at birth and up and walking in about an hour.

The zoo said it will hold an online competition to name the baby giraffe once it's born.

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