April Love | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: April Love | Previous Challenge Entry
By Barbara Culler
01/23/20
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Did you know that a group of giraffes is called a tower?

I learned that bit of trivia three years ago when a live-cam video of a very pregnant ruminant went viral on the internet. Like thousands of others, I became addicted to watching April the Giraffe, holding our collective breaths in anticipation each time she lifted her tail.

The hoopla began February, 2017, when the owner of Animal Adventure Park placed a continuous-live-feed camera in the stall overlooking mama giraffe and Oliver, her mate. It was thought that birth was imminent, but then nothing happened.

Viewers were educated by the park owner that giraffes have a 15-month gestation period, and the medical team guesstimated the calf’s time of arrival according to witnessed mating. In this case, the park owner admitted they were not sure when April would deliver, but guaranteed that she was doing well. Finally on April 15, a son named Tajiri was born. I watched the live birth on my laptop computer, and it was an amazing miracle of life.

The owner of the park was a shrewd business man, creating videos and live talks on social media explaining about giraffes and their need for preservation and protection. He endeared himself to his fans, his fame spread, and the little hilltop animal park in Harpursville, New York rapidly gained national attention.

The park didn’t want in-family breeding due to genetic issues that would occur in future offspring, so made plans to move Tajiri to another facility. It was the fall of 2018, and when those plans fell through, they decided to keep him. Through donations given by fans, a second barn was built, and the young giraffe was relocated to the new barn.

In January of 2019, Johari, an adult female, joined the giraffe group, and was housed with Tajiri who was still too young to mate. Meanwhile, April was pregnant, and in March of the same year, another son, Azizi, was born. Once fully weened, the young bull relocated to another facility in Texas.

Shortly after birthing Azizi, the medical team decided to retire April from future pregnancies, as this one seemed more exhausting for the 16-year-old giraffe. They moved her to the second barn, and brought Johari to be with Oliver. Each giraffe has their own separate stall, but can touch necks and faces, and when the weather cooperates, can go out in the yard together.

Now, there is a possible pregnancy with Johari, so we await official announcement, and hope to watch yet another giraffe birth next winter. In the meantime, we are fortunate to be able to watch their antics and cuteness via the park’s YouTube channel. In addition, we continue to become educated on animal conservation issues, as well as learn about the other inhabitants of the park.

Animal Adventure Park’s website offers an online gift shop that showcases all things giraffe. I must admit, I do have two articles of clothing with April’s image on the front. Wearing them reminds me of watching the live births of Tajiri and Azizi, and the joy of watching the tower of majestic creatures in their safe environment. It’s a place where the giraffes are loved and cherished, and during the open season, fed many carrots by adoring fans visiting the park.

https://www.aprilthegiraffe.com/

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