April The Giraffe Update: Animal Adventure Park Continues The Wait As Memphis Zoo, Chester Zoo Welcome Calves

April the giraffe could welcome her calf any day now, and people have been anxiously waiting for that moment to happen. But it seems that Animal Adventure Park’s April has been beaten in the giraffe birth race as Chester Zoo in England and Memphis Zoo just welcomed newborns.

April the giraffe in New York’s Animal Adventure Park may be stealing the headlines nowadays, but Chester Zoo’s Orla has finally given birth to her calf. And just like April, cameras were on standby to capture the amazing moment a giraffe gives birth.

Chester Zoo shared footage of the giraffe birth and that adorable moment the newborn mammal takes its first wobbly steps. The zoo has yet to make an announcement on the calf’s name, Fox 13 reported.

Orla wasn’t the only giraffe who welcomed a baby this April. Memphis Zoo also celebrated the birth of a baby giraffe on Monday afternoon, reports stated. The moment was caught on tape by Stacey Helms and uploaded it on Facebook.

It was the first time for the zoo resident to give birth and at the moment, she and her calf are bonding and will be staying inside for a week. A Memphis Zoo spokesperson has yet to make a comment on the birth of their reticulated giraffe, which will be available as soon as the baby completes its neonatal appointment.

Orla and the Memphis Zoo’s giraffe giving birth should be an alternative fix for animal lovers who have been waiting for Animal Adventure Park’s April’s baby. However, it should be noted that April’s subspecies is different from Orla’s.

April the giraffe belongs to the reticulated subspecies, while Orla is a Rothschild’s giraffe. There are nine subspecies of giraffe, and while all of them share the common characteristics of size, long necks, and the protuberance on their heads, the difference lies in their markings.

As described in Thomson Safaris, a reticulated subspecies like Animal Adventure Park’s April the giraffe have large spots characterized by smooth edges. Narrow cream-colored channels can be seen in between those spots. On the other hand, a Rothschild’s giraffe is distinct for its cream-colored “stockings” or the absence of markings on the lower half of their legs.

While two zoos have already welcomed baby giraffes, Animal Adventure Park’s April remains to be the famous animal today. She still keeps the staff at Animal Adventure Park guessing. People are also waiting for the mammal to give birth as veterinarians had forecast about her labor for last weekend, Fox2Now reported.

On Tuesday night, Animal Adventure Park keepers told viewers that April the giraffe is “big” and her “udders are full” with “light discharge” spotted.

“April continues to carry her great demeanor as you saw with Jordan, Corey, Joel and support staff today while cleaning the giraffe barn. She is big, udders are full, light discharge —-aaaannnnndddd thats it! She looks, and is acting, great! Another day outside and we expect more time tomorrow!”

The park began live streaming the pregnant April on YouTube Feb. 23, showing interested viewers April’s preparation for the arrival of her calf. The video was briefly removed when animal rights activists flagged it for “sexually explicit” content, but it was reinstated.

Today, Animal Adventure Park’s Facebook page has more than one million followers. Before they posted about April the giraffe, the page only has a following of 30,000. Park keepers continue to urge viewers to be patient with the giraffe birth.

April has been carrying her calf for 15 months now, which is the normal gestation period for the mammal. Once she gives birth, people will see how the front hooves of the calf get to come out first, and then the snout follows. April is expected to raise her baby in a natural way and will be weaned in six to 10 months’ time.

April the giraffe’s mate, Oliver, will not be with the family as Animal Adventure Park keepers have explained that the bull doesn’t really care much about raising an offspring. Once April’s future baby is weaned, he or she will be relocated to another facility to avoid inbreeding.

While waiting for April the giraffe’s birth in Animal Adventure Park, here is a video of Orla giving birth to her calf.

https://www.facebook.com/chesterzoo1/videos/10155133555590912/

[Featured Image by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images]