Baby watch continues as April the giraffe remains pregnant with her fourth calf.
April of Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, instantly became a celebrity after a live stream of her pregnancy has attracted millions of viewers. More than six weeks after the live stream (see the Animal Adventure Park Giraffe Cam below) has been put up, April the giraffe's baby is still out of sight.
A few days ago, the calf had undergone a "quiet spell." As such, many people have been questioning whether April the giraffe's labor is just an April Fool's prank.
Despite that, the zoo assured that April is pregnant. In fact, after the quiet spell, the giraffe has shown interesting behaviors such as tail raising, the zoo claims.
"Her mammary development has continued to slowly increase. Photo in comments. This is Good! We do not expect any additional back end swell, so all judging is now done based on udder changes," Animal Adventure Park said on a Facebook post.
Recent update reported by CNET claims April the giraffe had a vet visit this Monday and the calf did not show any movement.
When April goes into labor, the baby's front hooves will be the first to come out, followed by the snout, the zoo says.
Meanwhile, once the calf is born, there will be a contest to name it. Fox 6 News said they will not rush the process of naturally raising the calf. Once the calf is ready, it will move on to another facility to start a breeding program there.
Giraffes carry their babies for just about 15 months. Unlike humans, they give birth in a standing position. A baby giraffe could be as tall as a human. According to National Geographic, they can live up to 25 years.
Giraffe population has been declining over the years and they are now listed as "vulnerable" to extinction primarily because of illegal hunting, habitat loss and changes through expanding agriculture and mining, increasing human-wildlife conflict, and civil unrest.
Almost a million people follow Animal Adventure Park's Facebook page for the latest news and updates on the world famous giraffe. Here's where you can watch April the giraffe give birth: