Name of April the Giraffe's new calf revealed
HARPURSVILLE, New York -- April the Giraffe's new calf now has a name: Tajiri.
The announcement was made Monday morning on Good Morning America by Animal Adventure Park owner Jordan Patch.
After a naming contest was held, ten names were narrowed down as the finalists, and the choice was Tajiri, a word in Swahili that means hope, Patch said.
It was chosen to carry forward the message of hope for conservation and preservation of giraffes in the wild.
Patch said Tajiri, who will be called 'Taj' for short, is already six feet tall.
Animal Adventure Park's live stream of the recently-very-pregnant April the giraffe captivated hundreds of millions.
Viewers continued to watch as the new mom introduced her son to the world.
The giraffe cam made Animal Adventure Park the second most live-viewed channel in YouTube's history, with more than 232 million live views since February. More than 1.2 million viewers were watching when April gave birth Saturday.
The calf weighed 129 pounds (58.5 kilograms) and stood 5-foot-9 at birth, and he is nursing well and has had his first vet checkup.
The zoo team said April has recovered "perfectly" and is eating "everything in sight."
The 15-year-old giraffe delivered her calf in an enclosed pen at the zoo in Harpursville, about 130 miles northwest of New York City. The mama giraffe tenderly licked her calf, which began to slowly pick its head up from the floor of the pen. About 45 minutes after it was born, the calf stood on its wobbly legs for the first time while mom helped keep her baby steady.
April had the baby with Oliver, a 5-year-old giraffe, according to Animal Adventure. This is Oliver's first calf, but April knows the drill - this is her fourth.
The privately owned zoo began live-streaming from April's enclosure in February.
A look at the moment April gave birth:
April was pregnant for 16 months, just over the normal gestation time for a giraffe. She will raise her calf naturally, and weaning could take between 6 to 10 months, maybe longer. Oliver, however, will not assist in raising the calf. Male giraffes, according to Animal Adventure Park, "only really care about two things - fighting and the unmentionable."
A look at April's calf standing for the first time:
The contest to name the calf charged $1 per vote. The proceeds will be split among zoo upgrades, wild giraffe conservation and for children with unexpected medical expenses.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
