Animal Adventure Park Live Cam: April The Giraffe ‘Slower Moving’ As Belly Grows

Animal Adventure Park’s Thursday update has revealed that April the Giraffe was “notably slower moving” in the morning at breakfast, another sign that everyone’s favorite giraffe could give birth any time now.

The park’s keepers also provided interesting details for those who have been keeping up with the giraffe’s progress via the Animal Adventure Park live cam. At present, April’s back end continues to swell, which the keepers stated as “significant.”

“Belly growth from last week to this week is still mind blowing,” one of the keepers wrote on Facebook.

“April was notabley (sic) slower moving this morning at breakfast. Wax caps are still present and her back end swell (as you can see) continues to be significant. Belly growth from last week to this week is still mind blowing – she has to fit a 6?, 150# calf somewhere!”

https://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdventurePark/videos/937069263062620/

On Wednesday, the park reported via another Facebook update that April the Giraffe felt “agitated” in the evening when the veterinarian paid the pregnant giraffe a visit, as previously reported by the Inquisitr. April presumably wasn’t feeling comfortable when the veterinarian checked her blood pressure using a Doppler, a little white box that viewers of the Giraffe Cam might have noticed at the time.

April has instantly become an internet sensation when her Animal Adventure Park live cam started streaming her daily activities on YouTube in April last year. She was expected to deliver her calf on February 23, so the delivery is long overdue. That said, the number of viewers has drastically increased as the “Giraffe Cam” continues to stream April’s progress.

According to AJC.com, there are more than 100,000 people tuning into Animal Adventure Park’s live feed of April the Giraffe at any time, waiting for the birth of her calf. Thousands of viewers have obsessively monitored April for nearly a week now.

Compared to other animals, however, pregnant giraffes show no signs they’re about to give birth. According to experts, we won’t know a giraffe is giving birth until we see the calf’s hooves.

Giraffe calves usually weigh 150 pounds and stand 6 feet tall once they’re born.

“Imagine a swan dive. That’s how the baby comes out. We’re going to see those front hooves, then we’re going to see those knees, and with the knees comes the snout, the face, the head, the neck, neck, neck, neck, shoulders. Then gravity takes over,” Animal Adventure Park owner Jordan Patch said. “It’s quite a magic trick.”

This will be April’s fourth calf and the first for father Oliver, who is staying in an enclosure next to the mother. Many asked why the father wasn’t allowed to be in the same enclosure as April’s.

To address the queries, a Facebook update posted a month ago explained why they can’t have the male and the female together during the latter’s pregnancy.

“He [Oliver] does not want to play house — he wants to ROUGH house. That is natural behavior as males take no part in rearing their young, nor have a need for a female once she is pregnant.”

https://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdventurePark/posts/915778738525006

Meanwhile, another Animal Adventure Park update was posted on Facebook on Thursday evening, revealing that “April has many thinking tonight is the night, as chat rooms and social media postings question her behavior and positioning.” Both the keepers and the vet report that the back end swell still persists, but there’s “no change in discharge or lactation.”

April’s emergence as an internet sensation has recently brought attention to the declining population of giraffes.

Giraffe Conservation Foundation announced that giraffes are “vulnerable to extinction” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list. To bring more awareness to the species’ declining population, Animal Adventure Park has teamed up with Toys ‘R Us and pledged to donate the proceeds of $25,000 to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GFC).

Toys 'R' Us Now Sponsoring April The Giraffe (Live Video) https://t.co/Nd3Nn4SgrL https://t.co/ZuY154aJiT

— Rock 103 (@Rock103Columbus) March 24, 2017

Do you think tonight is the night April the Giraffe finally delivers her calf? Stay tuned to Animal Adventure Park’s Giraffe Cam below!

[Featured Image by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images]