HARPURSVILLE, N.Y. — FRIDAY UPDATE: From April’s keepers, “April is already out and enjoying the sunshine for the day. Grain intake remains moderate. Otherwise, all is normal and well – as expected.”
THURSDAY UPDATE: April’s keepers commented that “she is ‘out of it’ this morning; noting distracted behavior versus her normal inquisitive, treat begging, self. Significant bulging of the belly also noted.”
WEDNESDAY UPDATE: April’s keepers report that “all is well in the Giraffe Barn – doors are open and yard time has already begun! Physical body condition remains the same, comfort level has not changed, behavior is on point.”
TUESDAY UPDATE: Still no calf, but keepers report “April is reported to have her great demeanor this morning and a standard appetite.”
MONDAY UPDATE: “No significant changes in physical appearance,” according to a Monday morning update from keepers at Animal Adventure Park. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean April couldn’t give birth any time now (we know, you’ve heard that before).
Also, keepers mention that they are waiting for “increased pacing to indicate an active labor situation has begun, in addition to pushing/contractions.” So, be watchful of behavioral changes!
SATURDAY UPDATE: Zookeepers at Animal Adventure Park say that April the Giraffe’s pregnancy is moving along. A Saturday morning update says, “She is big, full of milk, baby is kicking, just not coming out!”
The livestream went down for a short time Saturday, but it has now been restored.
Animal Adventure Park began streaming on Feb. 23 on YouTube showing April preparing to give birth, drawing worldwide attraction.
This will be April’s fourth calf and the first for the father, Oliver. The calf will weigh around 150 pounds and be approximately 6 feet tall at birth. The video was initially removed after animal rights activists flagged the videos as “sexually explicit” before being restored.
Animal Adventure Park posted this update to their Facebook page Saturday:
“Allysa reports April remains the same as evening prior. Not much other to report on that front. She is big, full of milk, baby is kicking, just not coming out!”
The Zoo posted this update to their Facebook page Friday night:
“Well Giraffe Fans, here we are approaching another weekend without a giraffe calf… Tonight I decided to have a little pep talk with April to see if we could try to nail down a day, week, month or any sort of time frame… In this photo she is pretty much telling us what she thinks about that plan…
On a more serious note, everything looks great with our big girl. She is acting completely normal. Her appetite has returned. She is still showing us all the signs that she is almost ready. There is no reason for worry about her or the calf’s health. She just isn’t quite ready yet…”
