April, the giraffe that became a sensation when a rural New York zoo streamed its pregnancy and birth in 2017, was euthanized on Friday because of the spread of arthritis, the zoo said.
“She is a precious member of our family and, even though we knew this day would come, our hearts are aching,” said Jordan Patch, owner of Animal Adventure Park, in a statement.
The 20-year-old giraffe started showing signs of mobility problems last summer, and veterinary images showed that she had arthritis in her feet and problems with her left hind leg, the zoo’s veterinarians said in a statement. They observed that animals as large as giraffes can quickly deteriorate due to arthritis.
They said they implanted joint supplements, pain medications, anti-inflammatories, padded floors, dietary changes and trimmed April’s hooves to try to slow the progression of the disease, but her mobility continued to slow and she started to spend much more time lying down . March images showed “significant and progressive degeneration” of the leg joints, the vets said.
“The severity of her condition has outweighed our ability to control April’s comfort,” they said.
Statistics on giraffes’ life expectancy vary. A giraffe from the zoo in Knoxville, Tennessee, considered the oldest in the country, was euthanized on December 31, 2019.
April drew a large online audience while carrying her fourth puppy in 2017 at the zoo in Harpursville, a village about 130 miles northwest of New York City. The giraffe’s camera became the second most watched live stream in YouTube history, at least at the time, with over 232 million views and 7.6 billion minutes of live watch time over several months.
At least 1.2 million people watched the birth of the calf, eventually called Tajiri, in April.
An online fundraising campaign raised more than $ 150,000 to care for April, her mate and the calf. Other ventures – including sponsoring Toys ‘R’ Us for the YouTube stream, monetized text messages and a clothing line – have also brought money to the zoo. The owners said it would be used for zoo maintenance, wildlife conservation in Africa and local children with unexpected medical expenses.
“April’s impact on the conservation and valuation of animals is immeasurable and lasting,” said Patch on Friday.
But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals criticized the zoo for turning April’s creation into an Internet event.
“The tragedy here is not that April died – it is that she never knew a life without gaping spectators or live cameras,” said animal rights group veterinarian Dr. Heather Rally.
April had another baby, Azizi, in March 2019, with more than 300,000 people watching live on YouTube. He died at a Texas zoo last October.
Animal Adventure Park said she was put on contraceptives to retire from the breeding program after his birth.