Animal Adventure Park’s April Meets ‘Giraffe Mom’ Erin Dietrich, Watch ‘Inside Edition’ Exclusive

April the giraffe had a special visitor at New York’s Animal Adventure Park and Inside Edition was on-hand to capture the meeting! If you’ve been keeping tabs on April the giraffe, you probably heard about the woman who spoofed the live YouTube cam. Erin Dietrich was in her third trimester when she heard about the thousands of people tuned in to Animal Adventure Park’s live feed. Since she was also waiting to go into labor, she decided to have a little fun — little did she know, her video would also become a viral sensation!

Erin purchased a giraffe mask for $16, put it over her head, and walked around her bedroom with her baby bump on full display. She paraded around in front of a camera, patiently waiting for her baby to make a move — and people loved every minute. Erin became a “real-life April the giraffe” and gave plenty of YouTube users a chuckle.

Erin gave birth to her baby boy on March 8, a little more than one month before April welcomed her fourth calf — also a boy — on April 15. Now that both moms have welcomed their sons, Animal Adventure Park welcomed Erin to the giraffe barn where she and her newborn met April and hers. Erin — keeping her sense of humor front and center — wore her giraffe mask to the zoo, where she met AAP owner, Jordan Patch. Erin’s newborn son, Porter, wore a giraffe hat, which was very fitting for the occasion.

Jordan and Erin chatted for a bit before Erin got to meet April and her new calf. While Erin and April seemed to bond straight away (how could they not?!), their sons both slept through the visit. Erin was able to feed April some treats and get up close and personal with the giraffe, which was definitely an awesome experience.

“I feel like we’re buddies. I mean, we were going through the same thing at the same time. We’re like each other’s companion. She just doesn’t know it,” Dietrich told Inside Edition.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Animal Adventure Park does plan to stop their YouTube live feed in the coming days. The zoo made it clear that they wouldn’t be keeping the camera rolling long after April gave birth to her calf. They confirmed this in a recent Facebook update.

On Monday afternoon, several people emailed Animal Adventure Park after they noticed April had apparently hurt her leg. The response, though mostly filled with good intentions, caused AAP to reinforce their decision to take down the live feed. As stated below, Jordan Patch and the team need to focus on their animals and get back to their daily routines without the public looking on.

“We are well aware, long before the first email that April had a small twist of her leg today which has her favoring it. This is not unheard of in such long legged animals. Dr Tim was on site and all is well. We appreciate concern but the bogging down of email servers and other platforms is the exact reason the giraffe cam will need be pulled. While we appreciate the concern, it is interfering with normal park operations and preparation for opening; at a period when our resource of time is limited and cannot be hindered. Please allow our team to do as they are trained to do – we have their care covered!”

Fortunately, you will still be able to keep up with April the giraffe, her mate, Oliver, and their calf by following Animal Adventure Park on social media. And, of course, don’t forget to tune in to Inside Edition tonight to watch Erin Dietrich and April the giraffe’s meeting!

[Featured Image by Inside Edition]