New York

April the Giraffe Is Going on Birth Control, Won't Have Any More Babies

Officials at the New York animal park where April lives say the mother of five is being retired from its breeding program

April the giraffe is going on calf control. 

The 17-year-old giraffe and mother of five is being put on birth control Friday and will no longer be part of the breeding program at her home in Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, park officials announced on Thursday. 

"It's a great celebration for her because she has certainly done her purpose, and that is produce a beautiful, healthy calf in her lifetime,'' park owner Jordan Patch said in a Facebook video. 

"She'll continue to be a star of education and conservation initiatives for us here at Animal Adventure Park." 

April became a mother of five in March when she gave birth to a male calf named Azizi. Nearly 300,000 people watched a YouTube livestream of the birth on the park's "giraffe cam." 

Azizi came into the world already standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 139 pounds. Just shy of three months later, Azizi is already big enough for the NBA draft at 7-foot-5 and weighing hundreds of pounds. 

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April first became a sensation in 2017, when millions tuned in to watch the livestream of her giving birth to another baby boy, Tajiri, who now has his own YouTube channel

She is being replaced in the park's breeding program by a female named Johari, who will be matched up with April's former male partner, Oliver, Patch said in the video. 

April's new senior living program means she gets to hang out in the same area as her two boys, Azizi and Tajiri. 

Time to kick back and put your hooves up, April.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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