Photos and Full Story: The giraffe that is taking the world by storm!

Tucked away at an animal park in nearby Harpursville, N.Y. is April, the 15-year-old giraffe that has captured the attention and the hearts of people from around the world. April, who was acquired by Animal Adventure Park in September of 2015, is expected to give birth to her fourth calf, and the process is being streamed live for the world to watch.

On Friday, a visit to the animal park revealed more information on April’s birthing progress, as well as details about the park’s staff and what they are doing to assist.

The Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville opened in June of 2013 with its sights set on conservation and the rescue and rehabilitation of wild and exotic animals. To date, the facility cares for over 200 animals of 80 different species – to include April and her mate, five-year-old Oliver.

When asked which of the animals he likes the best, owner Jordan Patch stated, “You never ask a father who his favorite child is,” a remark that is reflective of Patch’s love for the animals in his care.

But it is April that is taking the world by storm and putting the facility on the map as literally millions have tuned into the live cam, located at www.youtube.com/channel/UClnQCgFa9lCBL-KXZMOoO9Q/live, to see the 2,000 pound giraffe, that towers at a height of approximately 14-feet, give birth to her calf.

For April’s mate, Oliver, the process is much different, and on Friday – we learned more.

At five years of age, and weighing 1,700 pounds with a height of 12-feet, the upcoming birth of April’s calf will be Oliver’s first. Patch, who stood near Oliver and April during Friday’s interview, stated that Oliver isn’t excited about the birth and that he is only affected by changes in smells.

“April’s hormone levels are high,” said Patch, “so we will notice the bull’s (Oliver’s) changes as well as these increase.”

Kept in pens that are the largest in the nation, measuring at 30-feet long and 25-feet wide for April and 27-feet long and 20-feet wide for Oliver, the separation of the two is primarily for April’s safety.

“In her condition, Oliver would be too rough,” stated Patch.

And those tuning into the live cam are able to watch both Oliver and April as they await the calf’s birth.

But the biggest question that has remained, is when will she give birth!

The live cam started streaming on Feb. 24, and people around the world remain tuned in. According to Patch, the first copulation took place in October of 2015, with a 15-month gestation period anticipated. This meant that April would have birthed her calf in January of this year.

But as they entered into the month of February, the park’s owner realized that the bull, Oliver, might have gotten her during her next ovulation. So at this point they are basing the birthing process on April’s physical development.

With veterinarian checks daily on April’s condition, sometimes twice daily, the park has noted many changes in April over the last week. 

The first major change has been increased movement of the baby. The second change is the appearance of April’s pregnant state in that the calf appears to have dropped lower.

“She’s developing quickly,” Patch added, stating, “it could be hours, it could be days, or it could be a week.”

But still, the world waits.

Patch noted that once April begins to give birth, the front hooves will appear first, followed by the calf’s snout. The baby, he added, will weigh approximately 150 pounds at birth, and will be about six-feet tall.

As for signs of labor, Patch explained that a giraffe’s instinct is to hide labor to protect their offspring; in the wild, a giraffe is prey, so this instinct is protective in nature.

Upon the calf’s birth, April will wean her offspring, possibly up to 15 months, and will then be relocated to another breeding facility. Patch stated that they have to do this for preservation and conservation reasons, as keeping it could lead to in breeding. Patch also stated that they won’t move April’s offspring during the colder months, and will be selective of the facility that the calf is being moved to. 

“We won’t deal with a facility that we are not familiar with,” said Patch.

But until that time the young calf will remain with April, and a naming contest for the calf will be launched. 

As for the care of April and Oliver, Animal Adventure Park maintains a log to record the temperature inside of the pen where they are currently located on the grounds. On Friday, the temperature in the pen was recorded at 60 to 62 degrees at chest level, 55 degrees at floor level, and 69 to 70 degrees at head level.

The USDA requires a minimum temperature of 50 degrees, but Patch stated that they keep things above the minimum “by choice”. 

There are rubber mats that serve as sub flooring for April and Oliver, and plenty of bedding as a cover. 

Cared for daily, the main diet for April and Oliver consists of nutrient rich hay provided by Mazuri Animal Nutrition, and carrots and romaine lettuce as a snack.

Their favorite activity, according to Patch, is socializing and receiving treats. This bodes well during the warmer months when April and Oliver are outside during the day, and then brought into their pens at night for safety reasons.

“They love the socialization at the park, and they love getting treats,” said Patch. “We don’t make them do anything they don’t want to do,” he added.

Another instinctual trait of April and Oliver is their sleep patterns. Patch explained that they sleep very little, and only take catnaps.

“They’re a prey animal,” said Patch, “so instinct makes them stay awake, and they sleep standing up.”

He also noted that they have a very short attention span and are grazers. They also enjoy enrichment toys provided by the park to make the food more interesting.

But for now, they wait. This is the first birthing of a giraffe calf at the Animal Adventure Park, and the owners and staff are keeping a good watch.

Corey Dwyer, of Johnson City, N.Y., has been employed at the park for over four years. As a secondary giraffe-keeper, Dwyer cleans the enclosures and provides them with food and water. 

He stated on Friday that the entire staff is patiently awaiting April’s baby. “We have it on the television all the time,” said Dwyer. He also explained that prior to the live cam, they were actually sleeping inside of the pens.

Dwyer also described April and Oliver, stating that April is a sweetheart, and Oliver just wants to have another one.

And with all of the attention brought upon the park through the live cam, Dwyer expects they will have their biggest season at the park this year. 

And what the owners, Jordan Patch and his wife Colleen, who serves as a teacher for the Windsor School District and operates the critter camp program, didn’t expect was the worldwide recognition prompted by the live cam that is recording April’s birth.

The park opened as a small operation, with the owners taking in rescues from research facilities and slaughterhouses. Law enforcement also works with the park when exotic animals are seized.

“We get these animals,” said Patch, “and then we work with them to adapt them to their natural environment.” He noted that some of the animals, particularly those rescued from research facilities, are very frightened – even by other animals of the same breed. The park, he noted, works to socialize them.

But in the meantime, the world is watching – and waiting. When the calf arrives, Patch stated there will be six of them on-site to assist including the veterinarian, and the park’s immediate staff. 

But for now, you can join the watch by logging into https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClnQCgFa9lCBL-KXZMOoO9Q/live. But be cautious, you may get hooked.

In one social media post by Janet Sanders Bunnell, who was on vacation in Florida, she wrote, “Can you believe, I’m at the Phillies game in Florida, and the lady sitting next to me is watching that April the giraffe video!”

In another post from Australia, Jacky Sutton wrote, “I’ve been watching the zoo live broadcast all week here in Queensland Australia. I’ve noticed a lot more movement today and her entire belly has change position, including a few good full belly muscle twitches. Every time she raises her tail I hold my breath – stop pooping April, we want to see your mini you.”

It is noted that at the time of this reporting the calf had not arrived. And when will the calf be here? It’s anybody’s guess. 

You can also view a brief video from the interview with Patch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6_9WcWrAKo&feature=youtu.be.