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Upstate New York Zoo Announces Birth of New Babies, But Still No Giraffe Calf

Tens of millions of people across the globe have tuned into the live stream in anticipation of the birth of April's fourth calf

What to Know

  • April has captivated tens of millions of people across the world who have been checking in on her via the live stream
  • Giraffe pregnancies last up to 15 months; labor lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days
  • The calf will be the first born at Animal Adventure Park, and the zoo says it will hold a contest to name it once it arrives

We have new life at the Animal Adventure Park — just not a giraffe calf.

One of the upstate New York zoo's pygmy goats gave birth to twins, according to its Wednesday night Facebook update.  

As for the long-necked beauty April, she's still pregnant and continues to be herself following a bit of a "cranky" stage. 

The zoo live-streaming the giraffe's now world-famous pregnancy said April had some mood swings Wednesday but remains healthy.

Although the wait isn't over for the arrival of the giraffe's fourth calf, progress is still being reported. 

"As you can see from the cam, her back end is huge," the zoo posted on Facebook. And "we wait."

Nearly 100,000 people were tuned in, watching and waiting with baited breath, before 8:30 a.m. Thursday as April bent her long neck for a snack, her 5-year-old beau Oliver watching with interest from his own nearby pen.

The zoo said Thursday morning April was moving a little slower at breakfast, but otherwise appeared to be her usual self.

Watch the live stream below.

Although still no calf, the lovebirds seem to be getting into a bit of trouble. 

The zoo said they "popped a latch on their stall door" Wednesday. 

But don't worry, a safety latch is in place to prevent a full opening. 

"We never denied their curious nature," the zoo posted. 

April's pregnancy was catapulted into global headlines late last month after YouTube briefly yanked the zoo's stream following complaints by animal activists that it violated the site's policies concerning "nudity and sexual content." Thousands upon thousands of commenters voiced their frustration on Facebook and YouTube, and the stream was restored within an hour or so.

We visited April the giraffe at Animal Adventure Park to see how she and her keepers were getting on ahead of the birth of her new calf.

Jordan Patch, owner of the Animal Adventure Park, says the natural curiosity surrounding giraffes and their birthing process has been a huge factor in drawing crowds.

"I think the fact that she's a giraffe and she's a neat species that people are interested in, that's fostered a lot of the attention," he said. "The fact that you're gonna get to witness the miracle of birth from an animal that you really don't get to see give birth — that's neat."

He added that April's pregnancy is not just live entertainment, but a teachable moment and source for education.

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Giraffe pregnancies last up to 15 months. Labor lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The calf, which will be the first born at Animal Adventure Park, will be about 150 pounds and 6 feet tall at birth and up and walking in about an hour.

The zoo said it will hold an online competition to name the baby giraffe once it's born.

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