TwitterWhile the seemingly endless wait is finally over for Internet sensation April the Giraffe to give birth (she delivered a male calf earlier today in front of 1.2 million viewers via live-stream), we still have a lot of burning questions for the beloved giraffe and her baby boy.
At the height of April pregnancy fever, five million viewers were checking in per day to see if the tall mammal had actually given birth.
In fact, Jordan Patch, the owner of the Animal Adventure Park where April has been living, said that she was due around February— but that time came and went and then came and went again.
Confusion on the Internet has steadily increased in recent days due to a lack of buzz-worthy developments. Some viewers even suspected that April wasn't pregnant at all.
While April answered the biggest question earlier today, we've still got a few more queries about the situation. Take a look at our burning questions below.
What is the Animal Adventure Park where April has been living?
According to the Animal Adventure Park's YouTube channel, "Animal Adventure is an interactive educational animal park." Animal Adventure is, "designed to promote up close and hands-on animal encounters! Hand feed many domestic and exotic animal ambassadors or get within feet of our cute, but less cuddly, carnivores."
The goal of the park, which boasts having over 200 animals and over 70 species, is: "To communicate an appreciation for living things through the use of the human senses; allowing our guests to get up close and hands on with our animal ambassadors."
Is this April's first calf?
Nope. April's given birth to three other giraffes.
What's the baby's name?
Of course, this is the question on everyone's mind—but the answer is going to take some time. It looks like anyone (who is willing to pay) can actually have a say in the naming process. According to PressConnects.com, the park will be setting up a GoFundMe page where people can donate $1 to nominate a name for the boy calf. Eventually the decision will come down to six names that fans can vote via social media. So much like the giraffe calf's arrival into the world—we're going to have to wait for a name. We're crossing our fingers for Stretch.
Where's the yet-to-be-named calf's father?
His name is Oliver and he's not so much involved, so says the park. Apparently male giraffes are only into fighting and mating. The calf and Oliver have yet to be formally introduced. Right now, it's all about mommy and me time.
Why was April pregnant for what felt like forever?
She wasn't. Giraffes are usually pregnant between 13-15 months (poor lady giraffes!). While many people thought that April was preggers for longer than that, it turns out that the zoo's owner admitted that they were wrong on April's conception timeline, which means they were wrong on when April would be giving birth.
How can people support the baby?
In addition to giving a dollar to throw a name in the naming hat, April's fans can still sign up for text message updates (which are probably going to be way more adorable then the constant "April's still pregnant" updates), which will cost subscribers a one-time fee of $4.99. You can also sponsor the mom and her wee one by contributing to Animal Adventure's GoFundMe page, which has already raised $132K (with an initial $50K goal) in one month. Super fans can also head to Upstate New York to meet the twosome. Which leads us to our next question...
How can we meet April and her baby?
Well you can't, yet. Animal Adventure is currently closed. We know you're sad, but fans of April and her baby boy will soon be able to see the long-necked animals when the park reopens on May 13. Zoo lovers can visit seven days a week 10 AM to 5 PM. The park is located at Harpursville, New York. Never heard of the town? Neither have we (probably because it only has 3,543 residents), but it's 15 minutes outside of Binghamton, New York.
How much does it cost to visit April and her baby?
If we aren't including the price of a plane flight, rental car and hotel, then it's actually quite cheap to pay a visit to the mama and her baby boy. Child's tickets are $10.99, adults are $12.99 and children under two are free.
Where's all this money going?
Good question! According to Animal Adventure, all the funds raised will be divided between the giraffe conservation in the wild and where April and her family reside in the giraffe care center at Animal Adventure.
According to the GoFundMe page, the donations, "Will be dedicated to improvements of the new Giraffe Encounter Deck, Shade Stations in the exhibit, Energy Efficient upgrades to their barn, and the installation of a permanent Giraffe Cam at Animal Adventure."
How can people buy some sweet, sweet April the Giraffe merch?
As of now, you have to go to Harpursville. But we bet you'll be able to find an ironic April the Giraffe t-shirt on Etsy in no time.