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NEW YORK, March. 19 (Xinhua) -- A pregnant giraffe named "April" has become an online celebrity lately as the mother-to-be's live streams attracted tens of millions of people from around the world to tune in and watch her birth.
April's belly has "noticeably dropped further" and the calf continued to do "cartwheels inside mom's belly," zookeepers at Animal Adventure Park in upstate New York wrote Saturday in an update of April's pregnancy diary on the zoo's Facebook page.
In a YouTube live stream Saturday morning, viewers were able to witness some beautiful moments between the mom and her belly, as April napped with her extended back head onto her belly.
April's pregnancy made global headlines late last month when YouTube abruptly cut the zoo's live stream following complaints by animal activists that it violated the site's policies concerning "nudity and sexual content."
The abrupt blackout incensed giraffe fans, and the stream was restored within an hour or so.
Jordan Patch, owner of the Animal Adventure Park, told NBC New York that the natural curiosity surrounding giraffes and their birthing process has been a huge factor in drawing crowds.
April's pregnancy is not just live entertainment, but a teachable moment and source for education, he added.
April is now 15 months pregnant, which is full-term for giraffes to deliver a calf. Zookeepers and fans worldwide are waiting eagerly for the exciting moment to come.
This will be April's fourth calf and the first for the father, Oliver. The baby giraffe will weigh around 150 pounds (68 kg) and be approximately 6 feet (183 cm) tall at birth, according to the zoo. But the exact date and time of when April will be giving birth is still not known.
The zoo said it will hold an online competition to name the baby giraffe once it's born.
