LIVE GIRAFFE CAM: April the Giraffe welcomes male calf
HARPURSVILLE, New York (WPVI) -- It's a boy! April the Giraffe gave birth to her baby at Animal Adventure Park Saturday morning around 10 a.m.
The male calf is nursing well and has had his first vet checkup.
Animal Adventure Park posted on its Facebook page Sunday that the calf weighs 129 pounds (58.5 kilograms) and stands 5 feet 9 inches tall (1.75 meters).
The zoo team said April has recovered "perfectly" and is eating "everything in sight."
A look at the moment April gave birth:
The 15-year-old giraffe delivered her calf shortly before 10 a.m. in an enclosed pen at the zoo in Harpursville, a rural upstate village about 130 miles northwest of New York City. The mama giraffe tenderly licked her calf, which began to slowly pick its head up from the floor of the pen. About 45 minutes after it was born, the calf stood on its wobbly legs for the first time while mom helped keep her baby steady.
April had the baby with Oliver, a 5-year-old giraffe, according to Animal Adventure. This is Oliver's first calf, but April knows the drill - this is her fourth.
The privately owned zoo began live-streaming from April's enclosure in February. People around the world have been tuning in daily.
April was pregnant for 16 months, just over the normal gestation time for a giraffe.
April will raise her calf naturally, and weaning could take between 6 to 10 months, maybe longer. Oliver, however, will not assist in raising the calf. Male giraffes, according to Animal Adventure Park, "only really care about two things - fighting and the unmentionable."
April has her own website and even an apparel line. A GoFundMe fundraiser page that initially set a goal of $50,000 sat at more than $125,000 on Saturday morning. The money will be used for the care of the animals.
Because of fears of inbreeding, the calf will be relocated to another facility once the weaning process is over.
Animal Adventure is planning a contest to name the calf!
WATCH THE ANIMAL ADVENTURE GIRAFFE LIVE CAM:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Video from Animal Adventure:
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