Calf Watch: April The Giraffe's Baby Has Arrived
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UPDATE 4/15/2017 8:56AM -- Just before 9:00 a.m. CT, April the giraffe gave birth to her new calf. After nearly two months of live streams and long waits, fans of April were finally able to the witness the arrival of her new calf. The video is being live streamed from Animal Adventure Park.
UPDATE 4/15/2017 7:32AM -- April the giraffe was in active labor.
NEW YORK (CBSDFW.COM) 4/14/2017 - April was out and enjoying the sunshine for a little while on Good Friday.
According to Animal Adventure Park, her grain intake remains moderate. Light discharge continues. Otherwise, they said all is normal and well.
"The only real drastic changes we will see from here is active labor - not much more change/development can occur," said the park on it's Facebook page.
According to experts at National Geographic, the average gestation period for a giraffe is between 450 and 460 days or about 15 months... but doesn't it seem longer since the world started watching the livestream video of a pregnant giraffe at a zoo in New York?
As millions watch and wait for 15-year-old April to deliver her calf, there are some things you should brace for. As you might expect, giraffes give birth standing up.
Being very tall creatures, calves fall more than five feet to the ground at birth. But the "welcome to the world" isn't traumatizing, in fact calves generally stand within half an hour and run with their moms within 10 hours.
Jordan Patch, the owner of Animal Adventure Park, described the global attention the impending giraffe birth has garnered as "overwhelming" for him and his four-member staff, who also care for 200 other animals.
Once the newborn appears, the park has said a contest will be held to name April's baby.
