News

Actions

Labor for April, the giraffe, stretches into Monday

Posted at 1:00 PM, Feb 26, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-27 09:53:00-05

April, the 15-year-old giraffe whose calf birth is currently being live streamed on YouTube, continues to go through labor as zoo keepers at the Animal Adventure Park near Binghamton, New York expect her to deliver at any time. 

When April gives birth, her calf is expected to weigh roughly 150 pounds and stand 6-feet tall. The labor has extended into Monday morning. 

RELATED: YouTube stream of giraffe giving birth back up after complaints of nudity

According to a Sunday update from the zoo, it only takes a giraffe 30 minutes to go through active labor. For the thousands of people actively watching the live stream of her labor, the delivery could come without much warning. 

"Naturally, giraffes hide signs of labor as to not alert every predator around, that they and a new calf will be vulnerable to attack," the zoo said in an update. "However, once we are final stages of the labor - the process is quick. Visible hooves to calf on the ground can be as short as 30 minutes."

April ate breakfast on Monday morning, according to a Facebook post by the zoo. April is not yet in active labor. 

The Animal Adventure Park said that April has shown visible signs of positioning in her hips, belly movements and stutter stepping. According to the zoo, this is due to the calf moving around inside of April. 

Despite the long wait for April's labor, the zoo claims that the giraffe, who is giving birth to her fourth calf, is perfectly healthy.

According to the zoo, April has been pregnant for 15 months. As April gives birth, viewers will see the calf's front hooves come out first followed by the snout.

Once the calf is born, Animal Adventure Park is planning a naming contest. 

Watch live feed from April's "Giraffe Cam"