This morning my mother and I watched the miracle of birth on a live feed from YouTube. After a month of anxious anticipation, April the giraffe from the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY finally delivered her fourth calf. An audience of over one million viewers watched with a camera’s eye view sponsored by the home of a trademark cartoon giraffe mascot, Toys”R”Us. Who would have thought that such an event would happen while the greatest generation could see it?
The expectation was enough to bring major newscasts to cover the event. That made a great break from international scandal and politics. Babies wait for nobody. In April’s case, they bide their time.
Births in the wild are usually relegated to documentaries on television, but April has become a sponsor for her species, as the park’s website notes a 40% decline of giraffes in the wild. Breeding in controlled environments and gene pool management will help preserve them and other animals. In the (hopefully near) future when we decide to set aside natural habitats for wildlife safe from poaching, populations may rebound.
While humans have obstetricians to catch babies upon arrival, giraffes give birth standing up, with the front hooves and snout arriving first; a newborn dangles for a spell from the birth canal and then plummets to the ground. Talk about hitting the ground running. The calf attempted to stand within fifteen minutes of birth and was soon wobbling around following mama. My mama and I watched, fascinated. For her it was a first, but I hope to see other miraculous events in my remaining lifetime.
Really, we should have more of these kinds of stories. People will always have conflict, but nature continues on its way in its own time, and if we’re smart, we pause to enjoy it.
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