UPDATE: 10:50 am EST: April the Giraffe gave birth shortly before 10 am EST as over 1 million people watched on YouTube and nearly 750K watched from the zoo's Facebook page. April continues to clean her adorable new calf, who is standing, has taken a few timid steps (and several tumbles!) and appears to have begun nursing. Everyone seems to be in good health! The Live cam continues at the link below.)
April the Giraffe is now in active labor, the live feed is here. At the time of this post, the live feed has over 700,000 viewers.Giraffe pregnancies last approximately 15 months, and calves are typically born front hooves first. In the birth process, they drop six feet to the ground, which serves to start their breathing and sever the umbilical cord. Calves are generally 6 feet tall and about 150 lbs, although there is speculation that April's calf might be a bit heavier -- exact date of conception is not known, but it's possible that April's pregnancy has been extended, and therefore would produce a heavier calf. Newborn giraffes generally begin cavorting around within hours.
Animal Adventure Park will conduct a baby-naming contest after the little one arrives.
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