WATCH LIVE: April the Giraffe could be ‘in the home stretch’

CLICK HERE to WATCH Animal Adventure Park’s Giraffe Cam LIVE! 

HARPURSVILLE, New York — April the giraffe’s calf will be a spring baby! On Tuesday, March 21st, April’s handlers said there's not much to note in changes overnight, however, they say the belly/baby continue to stay towards the back end.

Handlers reported Monday April was eating, but was not as ravenous as days prior. On Tuesday zoo staff said on Facebook "we would like to think we are in the home stretch - but of course keep our opinions and thoughts to ourselves (as we have been wrong before)."


No pressure April the giraffe, but April the month isn’t far away!



Below are some things to know about April, courtesy Animal Adventure Park:

April is 15. This will be her fourth calf. April has never lost a calf nor had a stillborn. Oliver, April’s partner is five. This will be his first calf.

The giraffes have some of the biggest pens in the nation (square foot per animal). Animal Adventure Park takes pride in their indoor housing and the level of enrichment and care to keep the giraffes happy and healthy.

The calf will weigh around 150 pounds and will be about 6 feet tall at birth. The front hooves will come out first followed by the snout.

Mom will naturally raise the calf. Weaning could take between 6-10 months, maybe longer. Animal Adventure Park officials will not rush this process. It is just a documented range of captive weaning.

Once the calf is born, there will be a contest to name it.

The keepers will go in with April occasionally to clean her pen and give her treats (but not Oliver). He is a bull – and a bull is a bull is a bull, officials said.

Giraffes are pregnant for 15 months.

Upon naturally weaning, the calf will move on to another facility to start a breeding program there. Animal Adventure Park officials cannot retain offspring, as it would lead to incestuous mating and undermine the genetics of the program and species.

Those “things” on their heads are called ossicones.

Bulls (male giraffes) only really care about two things — fighting and “the unmentionable.” Oliver may share space with April, but for short periods. Bulls take no part in rearing young.

The giraffes eat hay and a specialized giraffe diet, but love romaine lettuce and carrot treats.

April’s water source, enrichment, and solo hay feeder are out of sight of the camera view.

This will be Animal Adventure Park’s first giraffe calf.