Patience is a virtue that many were beginning to believe they didn’t have. With eyes glued to computer and phone screens, the world sat watching a single live stream, all waiting for the same moment that began to seem like it would never come. Some even began questioning whether April the giraffe was really even pregnant. But alas, on Saturday, April 15, April gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
The live stream was launched back in February and quickly gained a mass following. After a few blunders, including the stream being taken down and tagged as “sexually explicit” and speculation that it was a hoax, the project turned out to be more than just successful. In fact, the live stream was sponsored by Toys ‘R’ Us, an apparel line dedicated to April was created, and a GoFundMe page was launched to raise money for the New York zoo Animal Adventure Park, the place that April and her newborn call home. Even more surprising are the sheer numbers of people who tuned in, the live birth amassing an audience of 1.2 million.
“His entrance into the world was unnerving to even those of us who have witnessed animal births previously,” Jordan Patch, owner of the Animal Adventure Park, said in a press release. “Giraffes give birth standing up, which means when the calf is ready to be born, it exits its mother hooves first from six feet off the floor, making for a very exciting event!”
The calf weighs in at 129 pounds and stands 5 feet 9 inches tall. Animal Adventure Park officials say that the newborn is nursing well and that April is recovering “perfectly.” And for those still wondering why it seemed as though a calf would never come – a giraffe’s pregnancy lasts 15 months on average.
A contest will be held to decide on a name for the newborn.
Congratulations, April, on your small –err- large bundle of joy!
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