Is April The Giraffe's Pregnancy A Hoax?
It’s been nearly two months since Animal Adventure Park started their YouTube live stream and claimed April the giraffe was about to give birth at their upstate New York zoo, but a baby has yet to emerge. With no calf in sight, some started to accuse April's pregnancy of being a hoax.
From E! Online to the New York Post, multiple organizations “investigated” if April’s pregnancy was a fake.
READ: How Long Are Giraffes Pregnant For?
In one theory, the zoo was accused of faking April’s pregnancy to make money. That's because Animal Adventure Park charges $5 for text alerts and partnered with Toys ‘R Us for a sponsorship.
Another popular claim says April’s pregnancy was a test to see how many people would watch her live stream. At the time this article was written, there were more than 100,000 people watching the live feed. Since it started, the live cam garnered more than 14 million views.
Animal Adventure Park didn’t address the hoax rumors. Instead, they continued to issue daily updates about April’s status on their official Facebook page, which yields more than 1 million followers.
“Early morning observations indicate no significant changes in physical appearance. As stated in posts prior — we do not expect any further physical change,” the zoo wrote Monday. “We are waiting for increased pacing to indicate an active labor situation has begun, in addition to pushing/contractions. So, be watchful of behavioral changes!”
Since the weather in New York warmed, the giraffes were slated to enjoy a day outside. “Giraffes will have a beautiful day in the yard with 70 degree temperatures on the horizon!” they said. “We will capture some great shots of Oliver and April outdoors, along with staff and share those with you late day today [through] the text subscription service.”
April does not have an official due date. Giraffes are typically pregnant 13 to 15 months. It’s unknown how long April has been pregnant for.
Zookeepers at Animal Adventure Park in New York might have gotten pregnant April the giraffes due date wrong and that's why did not start giving birth when some people claimed she would. Photo: Getty Images
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