NY - Giraffe Watch: April, 15, due to give birth at Animal Adventure Park

[LaborDayRN]

I think I figured April out. This is a long work up to the biggest and most viewed April Fools Day joke. :scared:

:giggle:

 

[CARIIS]

Oh, good. I was afraid I'd caused it. When the lights went out, I started singing the Brahms Lullaby.

April is standing now. I thought she would fall asleep standing against the wall. I can sympathize with her being so uncomfortable. I'm having severe back pain and can't get comfortable at night, even when I take my pain medications. So, sometimes I come in and check on April.

I think I'll see if I can get a little sleep now. Maybe I'll hum the Brahms Lullaby to myself.

:singing:fftobed:

My dear have you tried ice paradise!! I got so into it about two years ago i got freeze burns!! It numbed me so wonderfully I had no idea it was killing my skin -- it was a mess!

I still do it for far less duration, but ya really do have to do it for like 45 minutes and it feels so much better.

Much better than heat--everything is already inflamed heat just brings more blood!

Try it honey --NOT my duration!!

 

[CARIIS]

:giggle:

Well LaborDay we are blaming you for this joke ! "Sounds right up your ally LaborDay!!!!!!!!

So LaborDay when is Labor day? hehehehe

 

[CARIIS]

Dobby and his mama made a public appearance today!

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/new...c-display-sunday-following-plasma-transfusion



http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/dobby-the-baby-giraffe-makes-public-debut-at-denver-zoo

Mama is a big girl!!

 

[LaborDayRN]

Well LaborDay we are blaming you for this joke ! "Sounds right up your ally LaborDay!!!!!!!!

So LaborDay when is Labor day? hehehehe

lol.....Not only am I a Labor and Delivery RN but my son is a Zoo Keeper! He's worked at the San Diego Zoo and the LA Zoo. So this IS right up our alley.

I've been watching her tummy for contractions but so far all I see is one busy 6 ft baby moving around! That's a good sign though. I posted information up thread somewhere. Giraffe's are masters at hiding labor because in the wild it's a very dangerous time for them. There are many predators about just waiting for moments like this.

 

[CARIIS]

tallest living terrestrial animals and the largest ruminants.

Reproduction in giraffes is broadly polygamous: a few older males mate with the fertile females. Male giraffes assess female fertility by tasting the female's urine to detect oestrus, in a multi-step process known as the flehmen response.[SUP][74][/SUP][SUP][78][/SUP]Males prefer young adult females over juveniles and older adults. (Just like hetero men!)

Mothers with calves will gather in nursery herds, moving or browsing together. Mothers in such a group may sometimes leave their calves with one female while they forage and drink elsewhere. This is known as a "calving pool".[SUP][82][/SUP]Adult males play almost no role in raising the young,[SUP][32][/SUP][SUP]:337[/SUP] although they appear to have friendly interactions.[SUP][74][/SUP] Calves are at risk of predation, and a mother giraffe will stand over her calf and kick at an approaching predator.[SUP][35][/SUP]Females watching calving pools will only alert their own young if they detect a disturbance, although the others will take notice and follow.[SUP][82][/SUP] The bond a mother shares with her calf varies, though it can last until her next calving.[SUP][82][/SUP]Likewise, calves may suckle for only a month[SUP][32][/SUP][SUP]:335[/SUP] or as long as a year.[SUP][35][/SUP][SUP][78][/SUP]Females become sexually mature when they are four years old, while males become mature at four or five years. However, males must wait until they are at least seven years old to gain the opportunity to mate.[SUP][35][/SUP][SUP][42][/SUP][SUP]:40
[/SUP]

p to 25 years in the wild.[SUP][28][/SUP] Because of their size, eyesight and powerful kicks, adult giraffes are usually not subject to predation.

[SUP][74][/SUP] Once an oestrous female is detected, the male will attempt to court her. When courting, dominant males will keep subordinate ones at bay.[SUP][78][/SUP] A courting male may lick a female's tail, rest his head and neck on her body or nudge her with his horns. During copulation, the male stands on his hind legs with his head held up and his front legs resting on the female's sides.[SUP][35]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe#Reproduction_and_parental_care[/SUP]
Giraffe gestation lasts 400–460 days, after which a single calf is normally born, although twins occur on rare occasions.[SUP][81][/SUP] The mother gives birth standing up. The calf emerges head and front legs first, having broken through the fetal membranes, and falls to the ground, severing the umbilical cord.[SUP][7][/SUP] The mother then grooms the newborn and helps it stand up.[SUP][42][/SUP][SUP]:40[/SUP] A newborn giraffe is 1.7–2 m (5.6–6.6 ft) tall.[SUP][36][/SUP][SUP][37][/SUP][SUP][38][/SUP] Within a few hours of birth, the calf can run around and is almost indistinguishable from a one-week-old. However, for the first 1–3 weeks, it spends most of its time hiding;[SUP][82][/SUP] its coat pattern providing camouflage. The ossicones, which have lain flat while it was in the womb, become erect within a few days.[SUP][35]

[/SUP]Yes, I saw him do this ! Male giraffes use their necks as weapons in combat, a behaviour known as "necking". Necking is used to establish dominance and males that win necking bouts have greater reproductive success.[SUP][14][/SUP] This behaviour occurs at low or high intensity. In low intensity necking, the combatants rub and lean against each other. The male that can hold itself more erect wins the bout.[SUP][35][/SUP] In high intensity necking, the combatants will spread their front legs and swing their necks at each other, attempting to land blows with their ossicones.

 

[LaborDayRN]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...e-watch-giraffe-before-has-its-baby/98635994/

Q. So what labor signs am I looking for here, exactly? I’ve been watching this giraffe stream for hours, at great cost to personal relationships and workplace productivity.

First, it takes a trained eye: Giraffes keep their pregnancies low profile, instinctively hiding signs of labor from predators who might harm their newborns. Thankfully, experts know what to look for.

Here are the biggest indicators that the good stuff is about to begin:

Water breaking: Look for discharge, which can be “anywhere from a slow trickle to a flow of mucus,” NBC 12 News reported.

Contractions: Stomach movement should come from the calf jostling inside, and the mother will straighten her neck and show movement in her hips, according to the station.

Visible hooves: This is the big sign in giraffe labor, as Kunter of the Denver Zoo told CBS 4. The calf should come out with its front feet and nose first. If it comes out backwards (back feet first), that’s a bad sign, she said.

Q. How long will the labor last?

Not long: Once the hooves show, Kunter said the baby should fully emerge within two hours. It could take as little as 30 minutes, according to Animal Adventure Park, the Harpursville, N.Y. zoo overseeing the birth.

Just bringing this forward.....

 

[OpusEponymous]

Dobby and his mama made a public appearance today!

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/new...c-display-sunday-following-plasma-transfusion



http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/dobby-the-baby-giraffe-makes-public-debut-at-denver-zoo

Giraffes are already super cute but damn if baby giraffes aren't just the most crazy adorable little creatures..

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

You are very welcome. :loveyou:

I must have scared my internet into compliance because I can see April again! Now we wait (again).

Thought I'd bring this forward as it's very apprapro......waiting, waiting, waiting.....

 

[CARIIS]

Thought I'd bring this forward as it's very apprapro......waiting, waiting, waiting.....

The dog added in was a cute touch!

 

[tlcya]

oh heavens. I am beginning to think April is faking. My mom and I have been watching for weeks along with the rest of the world. I am convinced at this point there is no baby and this is a Maury Povitch episode in the making.

Do we know, has oliver been stepping out?

 

[jadejazzkayla]

this morning's update from the animal adventure park Facebook page says it is cold this morning but they may get outdoor time if it is warm enough later today. It goes on to say tomorrow looks like it will be warm enough for hours of outdoor time.

I was reading on their site last night that the barn is kept at a constant 60-62 degrees.

 

[Deleted member 122964]

I feel like a little kid waiting for something---impatient, impatient, impatient. Come on, April. . .

Poor April--imagine carrying around a 150 pound baby. Whew!

Come on, little one! We want to see you!

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

I wonder how many hours I have spent staring at April's posterior section, waiting for her water to break lol. I seriously need a life!

 

[JanetElaine]

I wonder how many hours I have spent staring at April's posterior section, waiting for her water to break lol. I seriously need a life!

Currently 96,741 people who need the same, if YouTube's viewer stats are correct. (Including me)

 

[Indy Anna]

My dear have you tried ice paradise!! I got so into it about two years ago i got freeze burns!! It numbed me so wonderfully I had no idea it was killing my skin -- it was a mess!

I still do it for far less duration, but ya really do have to do it for like 45 minutes and it feels so much better.

Much better than heat--everything is already inflamed heat just brings more blood!

Try it honey --NOT my duration!!

TY for the recommendation! Until a couple of months ago, I would get some relief by putting an ice pack on my back (and sitting on it, too) for about 5 min. at a time. Now, anything cold on my back increases the pain. I've had this severe pain since mid Jan. and even had to go to the ER one day. Something is terribly wrong, but the evil insurance company won't approve an MRI and last week my doctor was fighting with them to get them to approve refills on my pain meds -- one of which is for neurological symptoms. Well, I finally did get both my meds Sat and slept soundly the past 2 nights.

lol.....Not only am I a Labor and Delivery RN but my son is a Zoo Keeper! He's worked at the San Diego Zoo and the LA Zoo. So this IS right up our alley.

I've been watching her tummy for contractions but so far all I see is one busy 6 ft baby moving around! That's a good sign though. I posted information up thread somewhere. Giraffe's are masters at hiding labor because in the wild it's a very dangerous time for them. There are many predators about just waiting for moments like this.

Last night I noticed at one point April spread her hind legs apart and held her tail straight up for a few minutes. I thought for sure she was ready to give birth. But, it was just another false alarm. She's teasing us!

The dog added in was a cute touch!

Looks like that dog was waiting for the person to play ball with him, but it wasn't going to happen until April gave birth. Come on, April, people and pets from around the world are waiting on you to deliver!

 

[LaborDayRN]

I wonder how many hours I have spent staring at April's posterior section, waiting for her water to break lol. I seriously need a life!

:giggle:

 

[al66pine]

The dog added in was a cute touch!

re pic of human skeleton w dog skeleton watching giraffe on monitor & waiting for giraffe to give birth:

Did anyone else notice images of bones on the wallpaper? Or is that just my imagination, running away w me?

 

[Indy Anna]

re pic of human skeleton w dog skeleton watching giraffe on monitor & waiting for giraffe to give birth:

Did anyone else notice images of bones on the wallpaper? Or is that just my imagination, running away w me?

Now that you mention it, yes I see them, too.

 

[smeck]

Does anyone know .....is April monitored 24/7 by zoo staff in case she delivers in the middle of the night?