NATION NOW

Zoo: Live giraffe cam pulled for showing ‘nudity and sexual content’

Katie Sullivan
(Binghamton, N.Y.) Press & Sun-Bulletin
Stephanie Majercik of Conklin, N.Y., feeds a giraffe a carrot at Animal Adventure in Harpursville, N.Y., on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. April, a 15-year-old giraffe at the park, has been in the final stages of pregnancy since Jan. 27, 2017.

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Excitement surrounding the imminent birth of a baby giraffe grows by the hour.

A live video stream has captured the attention of thousands carefully inspecting the expectant mother giraffe, April's every move inside the barn at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, N.Y. But not everyone agrees with the live stream, the zoo said.

Zoo owner Jordan Patch took to Facebook live Thursday morning saying YouTube shut off the giraffe live stream because of “nudity and sexual content.” Patch said “a handful of extremists and animal activist” caused the cam to go dark.

“By kicking our livestream offline, you have literally removed an educational tool and you have harmed the species survival more than you could ever recognize,” Patch said on Facebook.

After the post, the YouTube video was live.

On Jan. 27, a Facebook post by the park indicating mammary development — the final stage in the giraffe's pregnancy — reached 317,000 people and its accompanying video was viewed 47,000 times.

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Since then, audiences have been captivated by the park's giraffe cam — more than 30,000 people watched Friday morning on the park's YouTube page.

"It's crazy," said park owner Patch of the attention. "It's overwhelming."

Every morning and evening the park provides an update on its Facebook page.

Patch said this will be the fourth or fifth calf — expected to be 6 feet tall and 150 pounds — for April, 15, and the first for Oliver, 5, who was the park's first giraffe when he arrived in 2015.

"People are following from all over the world," Patch said. "It's an excellent educational tool."

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Wondering what the new baby's name will be? A contest will be launched after the birth. Anyone interested in casting a vote for a name will have the opportunity to nominate it for $1 on a GoFundMe page. Money raised will be divided between giraffe conservation in the wild, giraffe care at Animal Adventure and Ava's Little Heroes annual fundraiser. Six will be selected for a social media naming contest.

Still the question remains: When will it happen?

"It's imminent," Patch said.

Contributing: Ashley May, USA TODAY. Follow Katie Sullivan on Twitter: @ByKatieSullivan