From the cat videos of yore to the Harambe memes that just won't go away, animal obsessions and the internet go hand in hand.
The internet's latest obsession? April, the (very pregnant) giraffe.
April is a 15-year-old giraffe residing at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York. The park is "an interactive educational animal park; designed to promote up close and hands-on animal encounters."
The park decided to set up a live stream of April's barn to allow visitors to see her pregnancy progress through the off-season.
BREAKING NEWS: We are now LIVE in the giraffe barn via our Giraffe Cam! Youtube Search: Animal Adventure Park Giraffe...
Posted by Animal Adventure Park on Friday, February 10, 2017
The YouTube feed garnered a few visitors but didn't catch the internet's eye until it was shut down for containing "nudity and sexual content."
Confused? So was the owner of the park.
Posted by Animal Adventure Park on Thursday, February 23, 2017
The owner says animal rights activists reported the feed in protest of the animal's captivity. Nevertheless, the incident made headlines, and the internet jumped on board.
The feed was reinstated, and hundreds of thousands of people have tuned in to watch.
And wait.
This Giraffe is having her calf when she feels like it. #AprilTheGiraffe pic.twitter.com/UAemIR4QYU
— Lisa Irene Serrano (@lovelisaserrano) February 25, 2017
And wait some more.
Me waiting for April the giraffe to have her baby. #AprilTheGiraffe #giraffewatch pic.twitter.com/9QBHeMaMLL
— Kelly G (@kgsmalls_) February 24, 2017
It's been nearly two weeks since the park's feed first launched, and April the (very pregnant) giraffe is still very, very pregnant.
But the park has come up with a few incentives to keep viewers watching.
There are GiraffeMoji:
We are directly partnered in this fun project and your purchase does directly come back to the park! Share, Buy, & USE - because they are awesome! http://www.giraffemoji.com/
Posted by Animal Adventure Park on Friday, February 24, 2017
Hashtags:
2/25 Morning Update: #GiraffeWatch2017 continues Keepers have reported the continued shedding of the wax caps on...
Posted by Animal Adventure Park on Saturday, February 25, 2017
An April the giraffe Twitter account:
Ugh -- pregnant giraffe problems pic.twitter.com/bit6Ugjqpb
— April The Giraffe (@AprilTheGiraffe) February 3, 2017
Live chats:
LIVE CHAT ANNOUNCEMENT: Today, 2/26, we will host a LIVE chat session on our youtube live feed page from 6 pm - 7 pm...
Posted by Animal Adventure Park on Sunday, February 26, 2017
And now a backstory — with a little romance thrown in:
2/27 Morning Update: Keeper's report is all is well in the barn. April is eating breakfast this morning and body...
Posted by Animal Adventure Park on Monday, February 27, 2017
According to the park, April could give birth any day now. If you're not interested in spending hours watching a giraffe walk in circles, someone made a "Giraffe Birth Alert" service. Yes, really.
