April the giraffe’s most anticipated baby calf was finally born. The celebrity mother giraffe finally welcomed her newborn male calf on April 15 at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, with millions of people tuning into the zoo’s live feed. Now that April’s birth is over, what’s next? One would think that people will finally leave the live camera showing April and her baby, but apparently, the internet is still hooked. This time, they are enjoying watching the mother and her new calf bond.
People are now curious as to when they can see April the giraffe’s yet to be named calf. Animal Adventure Park is not done with the April hype just yet. The park immediately started a contest for the best name for April’s baby. Fans of the mother-son tandem can now visit the website Nameaprilscalf.com to start voting for different names. Each vote costs $1 each with a minimum of five different name choices.
The funds raised from the contest will go to conservation efforts for giraffes found in the wild, help Animal Adventure Park’s owner’s daughter, who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy and continue with the improvement of the zoo’s facility and services. The park will reveal the top 10 name choices at the end of the first phase of the contest.
The next excitement at Animal Adventure Park should be the naming of April the giraffe’s newborn. It is expected that the hype won’t die down just yet and this is not just because people will be helping out with the names, but also because the calf itself is a wonderful sight. People continue to watch the zoo’s live feed, especially the adorable moments when the mother and calf bond together.
Animal Adventure Park’s live camera feed on April the giraffe and her baby will be shut down in five days, but that doesn’t mean people will not get any updates on their favorite animal and the calf’s development. The park’s owner, Jordan Patch, promised that he will keep April’s fans posted through the text alert system, Press Connects reported. Patch will send more information on the duo as well as photos of them so fans won’t miss the giraffes so much.
For now, Animal Adventure Park is temporarily closed but will reopen on May 13. Furthermore, it was reported that there are still visitors who are taking chances just to see the mother giraffe and her newborn. Sadly, the park cannot let anyone in for now. They instead gave visitors stuffed giraffe toys and Lego sets.
Animal Adventure Park staff is letting April and her calf bond naturally. April will wean her baby the natural way and this process could take between six and 12 months. After the baby has weaned off from the mother all by itself, it would be time for them to separate. April’s baby will be moved to a different facility to avoid inbreeding.
Meanwhile, there are also questions about April the giraffe’s mate, Oliver, and how will he be part of this family. According to the zoo, Oliver will not be really involved in all of this because naturally, male giraffes are only interested in mating and fighting other males.
Patch had initially hoped that when April first came to Animal Adventure Park, she and Oliver would have a good relationship that will, later on, result in a birth of a calf. Apparently, Patch’s hope has turned into a reality. Oliver and April’s baby will be formally introduced eventually, but at this point, it’s going to be her and her baby spending some quality time. The park now hopes that someday, when the weaning process is done, there would be another announcement from Oliver and April.
If you have missed the biggest moment when April the giraffe gives birth to her fourth calf, check out the video below.
[Featured Image by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images]
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