In a cultural and political landscape as divisive as 2017, one of the very few things the internet managed to come together and set aside its differences for was, of all things, a live feed of a pregnant giraffe about to give birth. Well, everyone, at long, long last, April the giraffe of New York's Animal Adventure Park gave birth to a healthy 5'9", 129 pound calf — and now that the show is over, fans of the little dude can vote for the baby giraffe's name online.
It is unsurprising that people are invested in this particular baby giraffe, as he went viral long before he was born. Expected to give birth in February, April had millions of viewers on the zoo's live feed in a tizzy, hoping that they'd all be there for the moment of the baby's arrival. But it turns out baby giraffe's births are about as unpredictable as some elections we may or may not still be reeling from — because although April was exhibiting signs of labor, it took a full two months more for her baby to hit the scene.
But seriously, guys, cut April some slack. The gestation period for giraffes is 14 or 15 months, and by the end carting around 129 pounds of some other being ain't no joke.
The calf (male baby giraffe) arrived on April 15 and is already accomplishing more in his short two days of life than most of us have all year. The zoo is currently running a promotion to name him, and through it they are raising money for three important causes: the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, which protects giraffes out in the wild; Ava's Little Heroes, which supports families in the local area whose children experience unexpected medical emergencies; and Animal Adventure Park itself, helping to improve guest experience and the park's educational mission.
Each vote will cost $1, with a minimum of five votes each — so you can either vote for your favorite five times, or come up with five of your own. After about ten days, according to the park, the ten most popular names will go into a second round of public voting that will last approximately five days.
Of course, the internet — never failing to hark back to old memes (or an episode of Girls, apparently) — has quickly taken to Twitter to suggest some ... unique options.
If you have opinions about this giraffe's name and five dollars to burn, then have at it — the money goes to a great cause, and you'll be able to witness just one more bizarrely viral event in the tapestry of this little creature's life. Head to the Animal Adventure Park's voting page here.
