What to Know
- April has captivated tens of millions of people across the world who have been checking in on her via the live stream
- Giraffe pregnancies last up to 15 months; labor lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days
- The calf will be the first born at Animal Adventure Park, and the zoo says it will hold a contest to name it once it arrives
This giraffe ...
Late Thursday, the upstate New York zoo live-streaming April's pregnancy, wrote on Facebook that the giraffe "has many thinking tonight is the night, as chat rooms and social media postings question her behavior and positioning."
Alas, it was not. Is Friday the day? We can only wait -- and watch.
Nearly 70,000 people were tuned into the Animal Adventure Park's live stream just after 6 a.m. Friday. April didn't seem to be very active as she was seen standing up in the backside of her pen not moving around much. An hour and a half later, the number had climbed to 82,000. Still, April stood quietly.
The zoo said that soon the animals will be moving outside, which should spark a little energy in the very pregnant giraffe.
"Temperatures are starting to rise, snow is almost gone - outside yard time will soon return," the zoo said on Facebook.
Watch the live stream below.
The zoo said Thursday that April's belly growth from last week is mind-blowing. She has to fit a six foot, 150 pound calf somewhere, it said. Eventually it has to come out, right?
April's pregnancy was catapulted into global headlines late last month after YouTube briefly yanked the zoo's 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.
Local
Jordan Patch, owner of the Animal Adventure Park, says the natural curiosity surrounding giraffes and their birthing process has been a huge factor in drawing crowds.
"I think the fact that she's a giraffe and she's a neat species that people are interested in, that's fostered a lot of the attention," he said. "The fact that you're gonna get to witness the miracle of birth from an animal that you really don't get to see give birth — that's neat."
He added that April's pregnancy is not just live entertainment, but a teachable moment and source for education.
Three Baby Giraffes Born at Six Flags in New Jersey as Giraffe Pregnancy Captivates World
Giraffe pregnancies last up to 15 months. Labor lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The calf, which will be the first born at Animal Adventure Park, 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.
