April the giraffe is going to have that baby, storm or no storm
Will March snow bring April a baby giraffe? Activity is progressing in the web-famous mama-to-be's pen, and staff will stay close despite the weather.
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Babies always choose the most inconvenient times to make their appearance, and it seems giraffes are no different.
On Monday, as meteorologists warned that more than a foot of snow could hit parts of the East Coast after midnight, things started stirring in April the giraffe's webcam-equipped maternity suite.
The Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, started livestreaming the activity in its pregnant giraffe's pen back on Feb. 22, and checking in on April's expectant state has become a favorite online activity.
But could the baby, April's fourth, make a dramatic entrance in a blizzard?
"Approx 12:45 p.m. EST today staff began noting and documenting significant changes," staffers wrote on the animal park's Facebook page. "The vet was called and has been on site since."
And no one's abandoning April, even if the almost-ides-of-March cause snow to fly and schools and roads to close.
"Staff is taking precautions, with many members remaining on site this evening through the blizzard," the update reads. "Rest assured, we will keep the world posted on any further developments. We cannot confirm active labor at this time."
There's even a reassuring note for those worried about online access to the birth. "Should we lose signal mid-storm, YouTube will send notice once a new video is up and running," the park notes on Facebook.
Viewers seemed as excited as the mom-to-be.
"Thanks for taking the time to update us," Tina Pusateri Marble wrote. "It was so exciting to see everybody coming in and out and checking out April. I squealed like a little schoolgirl and threw my cookie batter in the fridge and said I can make those later, I gotta watch April."
British viewer Joanne Hardy would like April to be cognizant of overseas television habits. "Just a little request to April, here in the UK 'The Walking Dead' airs in an hour and 43 minutes," she wrote. "If you could just refrain from any activity during that hour, I should be most appreciative."
April-watcher Ruth Sutton shared a bit of her own experience on the matter, writing, "I used to work labor and delivery, just after a full moon and big changes in weather always brought a good increase in laboring moms!"
And the possibility of a blizzard baby brought name suggestions to mind for Tiffany Littell Soltis. "So if it's a girl, she needs to be named either Stella (the winter storm name) or Elsa (the 'Frozen' snow queen of course )."
The park has said a contest will be held to name April's baby once it arrives. Which it still had not, as of 7:45 p.m. ET Monday night, with more than 110,000 viewers tuned in.
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