WATCH: April the Giraffe finally welcomes fourth calf, a male, at New York zoo
April the Giraffe finally welcomed her fourth calf Saturday morning.
After weeks of waiting, the giraffe gave birth at Adventure Park in Harpursville, N.Y.
A zoo official said it was a “perfect delivery” and that the newborn calf was doing well. The zoo later confirmed the calf is male, and they are planning a contest to name their newest resident.
While the baby is April’s fourth calf, it’s the first baby giraffe for Adventure park. The family is rounded out by a 5-year-old giraffe named Oliver, the newborn’s father.
The zoo went live on Facebook to excitedly announce April had gone into labor around 8 a.m. — telling thrilled viewers a team was assembling to help the giraffe through the process.
Giraffes typically give birth standing up, which means the newborn calf started out his life with a 6-foot drop to the ground, according to Animal Planet. While it may not sound like the most graceful way to enter the world, the fall breaks the amniotic sac, severs the umbilical cord and “most importantly, encourages the calf to take…