While a quarter-million Americans are waiting for April the giraffe to finally give birth to her calf, a rare Rothschild baby giraffe was born at Chester Zoo in United Kingdom.
This Monday, Chester Zoo welcomed the birth of a rare giraffe calf from 8-year-old Orla. As reported by AOL , the CCTV cameras did not just catch the live birth of Orla’s new calf , it also caught the first wobbly steps of the newborn calf that looked downright adorable. The footage of Orla the giraffe giving birth to her third calf already garnered almost 7 million views on Facebook after Chester Zoo shared the video on their social media account this Tuesday morning. Watching the baby giraffe born live is something that animal fans must see.
The giraffe team manager at Chester Zoo Sarah Roffe also has a word for those who have long been waiting for April the giraffe to give birth.
“The world may be waiting for April the giraffe to have her calf over in America, but Orla has beaten her to it.”
The baby giraffe born to Orla is a rare Rothschild giraffe calf. There are fewer than 1,600 Rothschild giraffes left in the wild, so the arrival of Orla’s calf is something to celebrate for Chester Zoo. Orla’s baby giraffe that is yet to be named and sexed was born this Monday, April 3, at 3:20 p.m. The newly-born baby giraffe stood five feet tall and took his first adorable steps wobbling around after a four-hour labor.
This is not the first time that Orla the giraffe gave birth to her calf. Orla has two baby giraffes born before in 2013 and 2015 named Millie and Kidepo respectively. The five-foot tall baby giraffe born by Orla ended her 15-month pregnancy. With her experience, the four hours it took for Orla the giraffe to give birth is a smooth one according to zookeepers.
The zoo’s giraffe team manager said that Orla went into labor around noon, and both of her calves together with the rest of the herd watched as her newest baby giraffe was born into the soft straw. Chester Zoo is generous enough to share a photo of Orla and her calf just a few hours after she gave birth.
Everybody watching the footage might feel like the six-foot drop is dangerous for the newborn Rothschild giraffe calf. But Roffe eased everybody’s mind by saying that it’s natural. It’s likely how everyone else will see April the giraffe when her baby giraffe is born as well.
“Although it might be quite a drop, and they may fall to the ground with a bit of a thud, it’s how giraffe calves arrive into the world and it stimulates them into taking their first breaths. That whole process, from a calf being born to it taking its very first steps, is an incredibly special thing to see.”
The whole process of a baby giraffe being born is indeed very special to see. It only makes waiting for April the giraffe give birth to her calf even more exciting. On the other hand, USA Today noted that among the millions of viewers who already watched Orla the giraffe give birth, some commented about the much-anticipated birth of April the giraffe’s offspring and when she will really give birth. One of the comments that stood out came from Rachel Campbell, who tagged a friend who’s apparently waiting on April the giraffe to give birth.
“Have you seen this? You seem to have been watching one giving birth for weeks now and then this one just pops out in Chester.”
The arrival of Orla’s new calf is the second baby giraffe to be born at the zoo in just a span of four months – something that Chester Zoo celebrated once more given that Rothschild giraffes are now endangered.
*GIRAFFE BORN!* Here’s the very 1st pic of our new #giraffe calf – born yesterday to mum Orla! http://t.co/54h6HD8bhj pic.twitter.com/f7OxC1jXoN
— Chester Zoo (@chesterzoo) July 24, 2015
As for April the giraffe, the Animal Adventure Park in New York posted updates saying that April continues to do great. The Animal Adventure Park’s Facebook status read as follows.
“She is big, udders are full, light discharge —-aaaannnnndddd that’s it! She looks, and is acting, great.”
With Orla’s baby giraffe born already, Americans and fans of April the giraffe are all praying that she would give birth, too. So what do you think of Orla the giraffe and her newborn baby giraffe? Are you excited to hear about April the giraffe giving birth, too? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
[Featured Image by Chester Zoo/ Twitter ]