HARPURSVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — The wait is over for April the giraffe and her legions of fans.
Before an online audience of more than a million viewers, April gave birth to a healthy male calf Saturday at the Animal Adventure Park in New York.
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The 15-year-old giraffe delivered her calf shortly before 10 a.m. EDT in an enclosed pen at the zoo in rural Harpursville.
The newborn stood up on his wobbly legs about 45 minutes after he was born. He began nursing not long after.
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At least 1.2 million people watched the Adventure Park’s YouTube streaming of the event. Zoo owner Jordan Patch says both mom and calf are doing fine.
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Millions had been watching livestream videos of April’s impending birth since early February. Giraffes are usually pregnant for 13 to 15 months. Zookeepers thought April was overdue, but may also have also miscalculated her due date.
The newborn is April’s fourth calf but Animal Adventure Park’s first giraffe calf. The proud papa is a 5-year-old giraffe named Oliver. This is his first offspring.
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