April The Giraffe Labor Signs And Due Date, Watch Live Cam [Video]


April the giraffe is still pregnant, and millions worldwide are still enthralled, waiting for the moment she goes into active labor. April is a 15-year-old Reticulated calf who lives with her five-year-old mate Oliver at the Animal Adventure Park (AAP) in Harpursville, New York. April went viral when park owner Jordan Patch set up a cam in April’s stall, streamed it live on YouTube and announced they would share the birth of the new giraffe calf with the world. The estimated due date was by the end of Feb. 2017, but that time has passed, and Patch announced they were wrong with the timeline but things are progressing normally. You may watch the live giraffe cam in the video player below.

Watch the Live Giraffe Cam

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzJSe9QnMPV8gadzivVITOH4gDmTDaoHq

Jordan Patch provides two daily updates regarding April’s current condition each morning and evening. Many who are watching the live giraffe cam study April’s behavior intently looking for signs of labor. Without a specified due date, viewers rely upon April’s behavior and daily veterinarian examinations to stay up-to-date with her current condition. On Tuesday, March 7, 2017, the morning update was brief and followed by a video update where Patch showed viewers other animals that call the park home. You may see the morning update as shared on the official Animal Adventure Park Facebook page along with a quote below.

“3/7. Morning Update

April had a very active night that did keep us glued to the cam screen! She settled in around 5:00 and got a few good naps in.
Not much else to report on physical or behavioral change.

We will go Live today on Facebook at 9 am with Nash – surprise animal guest – to talk updates and questions!”

https://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdventurePark/posts/923230854446461

Here is the video update that was hosted live on the official AAP Facebook page on March 7, 2017, with Jordan Patch. There are approximately 200 animals that call the Animal Adventure Park home, and many have asked Patch to set up more live cams. The AAP is currently closed and reopens on May 13, 2017. Many babies have been born at the park, but none have drawn the viral attention like April the giraffe.

https://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdventurePark/videos/923253164444230/

A second video update was posted on Tuesday morning that answered more questions regarding April the giraffe, her interactions with Ollie, whether she is receiving too much light as a result of the web cam and more. You may watch that video update below.

https://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdventurePark/videos/923311271105086/

April the Giraffe Signs of Labor

Dr. Tim is the resident vet who comes in and checks on April the giraffe each day. Some days, he examines April twice per day. The vet examinations will be the viewer’s first determination when signs of labor are evident. Many people who are watching the cam suspect they see behavioral changes and are detecting early signs of labor. Keep in mind that Dr. Tim and the AAP staff will be the first to notice signs of labor. Because it’s impossible to determine an exact due date for April, she isn’t technically late or overdue. It was a miscalculation based on physical observations of April’s and Ollie’s mating behavior that caused AAP to suspect she would deliver by the end of Feb. Clearly, the timeline was wrong as April is still pregnant.

Signs that April will go into labor include drinking more water and eating less food, behavioral changes, and losing her mucous plug or releasing discharge. Additionally, the calve’s hooves will be clearly visible and at that point, April will be in active labor and delivery can take anywhere from minutes to half an hour. Giraffes are known to have fast labor and deliveries.

Watch: April the Giraffe Kicks Vet During Check-Up

During Monday’s check-up, viewers and Dr. Tim were in for a suprise. As Dr. Tim made his rounds and examined April, she was clearly having a hormonal day and was not up for the examination. She kicked Dr. Tim and he abruptly left the stall and concluded the exam.

April the giraffe goes into active labor, Patch will begin live streaming the calf’s birth on Facebook live. This won’t be the same stream as the YouTube live cam but will show the birth from a different, and much clearer angle.

Many people have suggested baby names for the calf, but they are advised to hold off until after the baby is born. Patch has repeatedly stated in the updates that there will be an official AAP baby name contest held once the baby calf is born and the gender is known.

At this point, it’s unclear what the future of the AAP live giraffe cam will be. Patch set up the cam during the park’s off-season and when many of their animals were pregnant and reproducing. Since April’s cam went live, multiple births have taken place at the zoo, none of which were live streamed. Many viewers have requested the park make live cams a regular feature. As the Animal Adventure Park is primarily an educational learning zoo that works with many schools and community organizations, the live cam does provide educational outreach. Yet, the park is going to open in May and there is a complete business side of the zoo that is separate from the live cam.

For now, Patch has expressed a willingness to keep the live giraffe cam up for at least several days after the calf is born. We’ll all have to wait and see what happens after that.

Are you watching the live giraffe cam? Are you excited to watch April give birth online?

[Featured Image by Anky/Shutterstock]

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