HARPURSVILLE, N.Y. — Zoo staff said April the giraffe’s behavior had them “on edge” Thursday morning, though they said the expecting mother appeared to settle down later Thursday.
More than 100,000 people remained glued to the live stream Thursday as the wait to welcome April’s fourth calf into the world continues.
Animal Adventure Park said early Thursday morning staff, “witnessed some very interesting behavior that had us on edge. Though, this morning, all has seemed to settle. We will continue to watch and monitor throughout the day.”
The zoo also mentioned they are digging out from underneath a recent snowstorm.
April’s pregnancy and anticipated delivery has captured the attention and curiosity of thousands of people across the country, partly after the live stream was initially removed over complaints the stream of the pregnancy amounted to “sexually explicit” content.
According to Animal Adventure Park, the calf will weigh about 150 pounds and will stand 6-feet tall at birth. A giraffe’s pregnancy lasts about 15 months. The zoo plans to have a contest to name the calf once it is born.
The zoo says April is 15 and this is her fourth calf. Oliver, the father, is 5 and this is his first calf.
Animal Adventure Park has created a GoFundMe page to raise funds to run the zoo and upgrade the giraffe facilities. The park has also created a web page just for April.
