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Watch live as April the Giraffe is ‘very active;’ ready to give birth at New York zoo

Posted at 7:22 PM, Mar 04, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-05 11:21:21-05

HARPURSVILLE, New York — April the giraffe remains “very active” and has a “large appetite” as she continues to prepare to birth her long-awaited calf.

April’s good but “active” night appeared to have been caused by the possibility of a few contractions Friday night into Saturday, but Animal Adventure Park said it cannot confirm she did have contractions. April has quite the appetite Saturday morning and is said to be enjoying “morning treats.”

“Pregnancy belly has never looked so good! Move over Beyonce – there is a new bump in town!” the zoo posted on their Facebook page Saturday. “We must remember a 6′ [foot] 150# [pound] baby is performing acrobatic routines inside!”

The calf, which was generally on the left side of the giraffe’s stomach, has shifted to proportionately take up her belly, the zoo said.

There have been “major changes” to the back end of April, an indication of how close she is to giving birth. She has a strong appetite, but opted out of eating hay for most of Monday afternoon, according to the zoo.

An exact date and time of when April will be giving birth is still not known, according to the zoo, which joked the vet had brought a “foolproof tool” — a Magic 8 ball — to determine the moment, but still got a “Cannot Predict Now” answer.

Animal Adventure Park is encouraging in those watching the birth to keep checking in.

This will be April’s fourth calf and the first for the father, Oliver.

Giraffes are pregnant for 15 months, according to Animal Adventure Park. The calf will weigh around 150 pounds and be approximately 6-feet-tall at birth.

Once the calf is born, the zoo will hold a contest to name it.

Animal Adventure Park started the stream on Thursday. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have joined in daily to see the birth.

The stream was briefly taken down when animal rights activists flagged it as “sexually explicit,” according to the park.

The zoo has also launched a GoFundMe campaign to offset the annual care of the giraffes.