Animal Adventure Park Teases Giraffe Cam Return, Confirms More April The Giraffe Baby Name Contest Details
Animal Adventure Park’s giraffe cam has officially shut down as of Friday, but those who miss April the giraffe and want to keep tabs on her calf in real-time will be able to do so in the coming days. And if you’re wondering how April’s calf is doing, the latest updates suggest he’s in good shape as he continues to grow, and now making eye contact with his and April’s handlers.
For this morning’s April the giraffe update, Animal Adventure Park had some good news to share to its Facebook followers, as the Harpursville, N.Y. park answered some frequently-asked questions it had been receiving. Chief among these questions was the fate of the Animal Adventure Park giraffe cam, which was taken down on Friday afternoon. But just as park owner Jordan Patch and his colleagues had teased on that day, it’s not exactly an end of an era, but rather the “end of the first chapter” of April the giraffe and her extraordinary story.
“The Giraffe Cam is not gone forever! This week we will announce viewing day/times for you to check in and watch progress! This schedule will continue until noted differently.
“A permanent yard cam will go up this season which will also reconnect you to your favorite giraffe family.”
Animal Adventure Park to take down 'Giraffe Cam' by end of week – https://t.co/ng9zh2mewS https://t.co/hTbyY7m35u #adventure pic.twitter.com/rkQe3orTJW
— Joan E. (@JJoanenglish) April 18, 2017
This adds to what Patch had said about the Animal Adventure Park live giraffe cam on Friday, when he and his team – Allysa Swilley, Corey Dwyer, and Dr. Tim Slater – bid farewell to live cam viewers and followers. At that time, Patch promised an announcement on viewing times to be made early next week, but the permanent yard cam is a new and welcome development for those who want to see what’s up with April the giraffe, her partner Oliver, and their baby.
With April the Giraffe’s baby name contest still in the first stage, Animal Adventure Park also announced that the calf’s name would “tentatively” be announced on May 1. The first stage of voting will end in “a couple of days,” upon which the park will announce the ten finalists to be included in the second stage. As of Thursday, some of the top baby name candidates included Patch and Patches, both of which are tributes to Jordan Patch himself. Unity made it as an early leader due to the spirit of unity fostered by the giraffe cam experience, while Harpur was an obvious nod to Animal Adventure Park’s home city.
There were also some curious leaders on Thursday’s April the giraffe baby name contest update, such as Geoffrey (Animal Adventure Park giraffe cam sponsor Toys R Us’ mascot), and Ollie, which is simply a nickname for April’s “baby daddy” Oliver. However, anything could change in the days leading up to AAP’s announcement of the ten finalists.
Meanwhile, April the giraffe’s baby is still growing, now that he’s slightly more than one week old. Animal Adventure Park noted that the calf is now “looking (his handlers) in the eyes,” a truly interesting development as he remains in good health and continues to bond with his mother.
With everything going well over at Animal Adventure Park and its giraffe cam set to make a comeback at some point soon, there are also some alternatives for anyone who’s still got an April the giraffe “hangover” and can’t wait for the live cam to come back. A report from CNET from earlier this month (a few days before April gave birth) listed five live animal cams that may be worth checking out, and while none of these alternatives feature giraffes, they offer an arguably adorable and/or fascinating look at animal interactions and behaviors as they happen in real-time.
[Featured Image by Scott Olson/Getty Images]
