April (giraffe) facts for kids

April (April 18, 2000 – April 2, 2021) was a famous reticulated giraffe. She lived at the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, in the United States. April became known around the world in 2017. This happened when live videos of her getting ready to give birth were shared online. Many people watched her give birth to her baby on YouTube.

April's Early Life

April was born in the year 2000. Her birthplace was the Catskill Game Farm in Catskill, New York. She lived at the Catskill Game Farm until it closed down in October 2006. After that, April moved to Adirondack Animal Land in Broadalbin, New York.

Moving to Animal Adventure Park

In 2015, April moved to the Animal Adventure Park. This park is owned by Jordan Patch. Around the same time, the park also got a young male giraffe named Oliver. April was 14 years old when she arrived. Oliver was 3 years old.

April's Pregnancies

Oliver and April soon became mates. This led to April becoming pregnant. Giraffe pregnancies usually last about 15 months. This was Oliver's first time becoming a father. April had been a mother three times before. She had two male calves and one female calf named Autumn with another giraffe named Stretch.

Becoming a Viral Sensation

In February 2017, April became very famous online. This happened because the Animal Adventure Park started a live video stream of her. People could watch her as she got closer to giving birth.

The First Live Birth

About 1.2 million people watched April give birth live on YouTube. The live video was supported by Toys R Us and Babies R Us. This was a fun nod to their mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe. By the time the camera stopped streaming, the video had been watched 232 million times.

A fundraiser was also set up to help April and the park. It was called a GoFundMe page. The goal was to raise $50,000. But people donated much more, over $135,000! This money helped pay for the animals' care. It also helped improve the giraffe area at the park.

Anticipation and the Calf's Birth

Many people were very excited for April to give birth. Some even wondered if it was an April Fools' Day joke. April's veterinarian, Dr. Tim Slater, said that the birth was not overdue. It was just taking its natural course.

April's baby was born on April 15, 2017, at about 9:54 a.m. Eastern Time. It was a male calf. He was about 5.75 feet (1.75 m) tall and weighed 129 pounds (59 kg).

Another Live Birth

On July 25, 2018, the Animal Adventure Park announced more exciting news. April and Oliver were expecting another baby! This calf was also a male. He was born on March 16, 2019, at 12:43 p.m. Eastern Time.

Just like with the first birth, this one was also shown live online. About 300,000 people watched the birth. April's fourth son was named Azizi (Ah-Zee-Zee). He weighed 139 pounds and was 5 feet 11 inches tall. Azizi was able to stand up by 1:27 p.m. and started nursing by 1:51 p.m.

April's Retirement and Legacy

After her last birth, April entered what is called "senior care." Her caretakers noticed that having more babies might be bad for her health. So, she retired from breeding. During her retirement, she lived with her two youngest sons, Tajiri and Azizi. The Animal Adventure Park later got another female giraffe, Johari. She continued the breeding program with Oliver.

Azizi's Journey

On November 25, 2019, it was announced that Azizi, April's youngest calf, would move. He was going to the East Texas Zoo & Gator Park in Grand Saline, Texas. This move happened in spring 2020. Azizi was growing faster than his older brother Tajiri. He also started eating solid foods like hay and special giraffe pellets early on.

Sadly, Azizi passed away unexpectedly on October 27, 2020. He had been treated for a health issue. The treatment seemed to be working, and he was getting better. However, on October 27, he could not stand up. He died during a check-up by the veterinarians. Later, it was found that a part of his gut had twisted. This was a condition that could not have been prevented.

April passed away on April 2, 2021. She was cremated, and her ashes were returned to the park.