April the Giraffe Gives Birth!
It seems like there is only bad things happening in the news these days,but on April 15th, the world finally got some much needed good news. April the giraffe, who has had over 40 million viewers throughout the spam of her pregnancy, gave birth to a boy calf at around 10 am. Over 1.2 million people live streamed the birth online. April lives at a zoo in New York, specifically Harpusville, which is about 130 miles away from New York City.
April had an audience throughout most of her pregnancy, and her video was even sponsored by ToysRUS and BabiesRUs! With all of the negative things that have happened with live streams in the past month, including the Cleveland shootings, many people believe that these types of services should be eliminated altogether. But the birth of the baby giraffe showed many that the internet can also be used for good, by bringing people together. There is even a concept that applies in this case, called virtual animal therapy, which is similar to the comfort of a real animal but simulated. This type of therapy can help relieve stress and slow breathing for viewers.
Even with something as cute as a giraffe, there have been many struggles. The zoo originally started streaming live on February 10th. Two weeks later, it was banned from YouTube for nudity and sexual content. Luckily, the feed was restored and attracted millions of viewers. The zoo has also used the popularity of the live stream to collect funds. A GoFundMe (a website used to help people raise money for whatever they desire) was set up with a goal of $50,000 but has exceeded its goal by over $75,000. The money collected will go towards care for the animals at the zoo.
There is no name for the calf yet, but word is that there may be a contest to decide the name.
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2017/03/15/why-is-the-world-on-april-the-giraffe-watch/#1b24ead21344
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/livestream-april-the-giraffe-is-finally-giving-birth/#
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