April The Giraffe Animal Adventure Park Update: Why Do We Stay Glued To The Cam?


Viewers of the giraffe cam on YouTube have been waiting and waiting for April the giraffe to give birth to her calf. According to the morning keeper report given by the Animal Adventure Park, the baby has been extremely quiet as of late. This, again, has many people wondering if tonight is the night that April will finally bring her calf into the world.

Tonight’s evening update from the Animal Adventure Park is as follows:

“Keeper report is increased calf activity in comparison to this morning and last evening.
All other development is as previously reported. Appetite is strong and demeanor is good.”

This morning on Facebook, the keepers at the Animal Adventure Park updated their status to state the following.

“This morning’s keeper report notes just how large April appears! Also, baby is extremely ‘quiet’ this morning… calm before the storm? There are notable bulges on April’s left side today. All other physical development remains as reported prior.”

April’s belly continues to grow day by day, and her pregnancy is progressing in “true April fashion.” The veterinary review stated that, although her upper right teat has in fact, been producing milk, it did not produce any milk at all yesterday. The Animal Adventure Park staff put it perfectly in stating, “She keeps us guessing – she keeps on growing!!” April the giraffe certainly keeps us guessing.

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Dr. Tim, April the giraffe’s veterinarian spoke to viewers in a YouTube video posted yesterday, and then shared with an update on Facebook. He let everyone know that April is progressing fine. Her calf has nearly doubled in size since this past Monday, which is about twice the size that April’s calf was last week.

April the giraffe has become an internet sensation ever since news hit YouTube in the middle of February that she was due to give birth at any time. Here it is more than a month later, and April the giraffe has still not had her calf.

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Jordan Patch, the owner of the Animal Adventure Park where April the giraffe and her mate Oliver live, has admitted that the timeline for April’s birth was misjudged. The staff members of the park, however, continue to tell their viewers that we can expect to see a calf “soon,” and that it will happen any day now. April’s vet has informed viewers that the gestation of a giraffe calf is 15 months give or take 60 days. This means that faithful viewers of the live giraffe cam on YouTube may have to wait until April to witness the birth of a calf.

April’s vet and the Animal Adventure Park staff have been checking to see if April’s teats are producing milk and if the wax caps covering the teats are thinning. When labor is imminent, April’s wax caps will fall off so that the giraffe calf can nurse. The most recent vet check shows that the wax caps have indeed been thinning, but are still in place.

April the giraffe is not new to the birthing process. Although this will be the Animal Adventure Park’s first giraffe calf, this is April’s fourth pregnancy. Giraffes instinctively hide their labor for as long as they can. Any show of distress in the wild is a billboard to predators and a danger to mom and baby. There are still a few signs that we can look for when viewing April on the giraffe cam, which is streaming live on YouTube in the video player below.

When April feels the pressure of a contraction, she will stretch out her neck and lift her tail. Another sign that viewers of the giraffe cam can look for is the breaking of April’s water, which could come out with a splash. Unfortunately, though, when April’s water breaks, it may only be a slight trickle that would be difficult to see on the live cam. The only surefire sign that April is in active labor is when she actually delivers the calf’s hooves. From that point, the birthing process will only take 30 to 60 minutes. Fear of missing the birth is one of the main reasons why many viewers remain glued to the giraffe cam on YouTube.

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Fans of April are still waiting and watching the giraffe cam on YouTube continuously. There have not been many changes from day to day. The view of April in her stall is reminiscent of a fish swimming around and around their tank. Many are getting impatient waiting for April to have her baby, but others remain patient. One of April’s Facebook followers spoke of those who have lost hope. She stated that “Mother Nature is in control and we are all along for the ride. Our society has forgotten how to be patient.”

Another commenter reminded the rest of us why we continue to watch, even when we feel as if nothing is changing. She decided to leave her phone out on the table during her anniversary dinner, just in case April went into labor. “As hubby said, you’ve got too much time invested to miss the birth.”

This is true for most of us, which is why we religiously continue to watch the giraffe cam on YouTube. We rely on the daily updates from the Animal Adventure Park. We read articles in an attempt to learn new information. We keep watching the live stream on YouTube, hoping that we will be one of the lucky ones to check in at just the right time. Why? Because we have too much time invested to give up now.

[Featured Image By Photomaster/Shutterstock]

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