April the giraffe birth: Thousands tune in as April 'to give birth in days'

Staff at the Animal Adventure Park in upstate New York are now on high alert as pregnant April advances into her final stage of pregnancy. The giraffe has gained world-wide attention as thousands tune in to her live stream anticipating the baby calf’s arrival. Giraffe Cam went live last weekend, with the cameras focusing on documenting the final days of April’s 15-month pregnancy. April can be seen looking restless and as she sprawled herself on the ground to rest – a tell-tale sign she could give birth any moment – before standing up to feed.

Zoo staff have offered to send out text messages to April’s fans when she is officially in labour, documenting exclusive photos of her and her baby calf post-birth.

The animal park’s latest update on Facebook reads: “April continues to advance, her size quite impressive!

“She continues to show interest in food items and is accepting of keeper veterinary inspection. We do observe periods of neck extensions, tail raising, and ‘zoning out’ – but could be due to a number of variables related to the pregnancy; calf movement, cramps, gas, etc.

“Mammary development is visible to the eye from a distance. Back end is quite swollen and continues to tease us with leakage/discharge traces.”

Thanking April’s supporters, the park said: “We thank everyone for their continued support and encourage you to get out there and talk giraffes. Knowledge is power – and giraffes need a powerful partner. That’s you.”

April hit headlines two years ago after giving birth, gaining herself a world-wide fan base of animal lovers.

The giraffe attracted more than 1.2 million streamers, who tuned in to watch the dramatic moments when April gave birth to her son Tajiri on 15 April 2017, weighing 129lb.

Now, fans are at the edge of their seats awaiting her fifth calf’s arrival – and some have even admitted putting their lives on hold for the highly anticipated event.

One fan wrote on Facebook: “If you think I’m going to waste weeks of my life waiting for a giraffe to be born for the second time then you’re absolutely right, my friend.”

Another said: “This time 2 years ago, all through my honeymoon trip around Norway, I followed April. not sure I can handle the stress again … but signed up for the labour alert and ‘giraffe obsession’ will begin! So hope, like last time, I’m able to see the birth.”

Over 1.7 million people follow the zoo’s Facebook page to retrieve the latest news and updates on the world famous giraffe.

The 17-year-old giraffe is expecting her fifth calf, with healthy newborns weighing around 150 pounds.

April was previously pregnant for 16 months – longer than a typical giraffe’s pregnancy, which nomrally lasts for 15 months.

source: express.co.uk