April the Giraffe, an internet sensation that gave birth almost four years ago as an audience of millions watched via live broadcast and helped educate the public about his species, died on Friday at Animal Adventure Park, his home , announced.
Veterinarians euthanized in April after his arthritis continued to worsen, the park said. April, who produced five calves in his lifetime, was 20 when he died, the park said on Facebook.
Captive giraffes have an average life expectancy of 20 to 25 years; their life expectancy in the wild is about 10 to 15 years.
Abril drew more than 16 million viewers on April 15, 2017, when the animal park broadcast live on YouTube the birth of his youngest son, Tajiri, who is male. The park had been drawing spectators for months as they checked out the April pregnancy, which team members began broadcasting live in the winter.
April’s large and dedicated number of online followers drew attention to the park and rural community in Harpursville, NY, about 185 miles northwest of New York City. The park has about 2,300 animals, including crocodiles, bison, camels and wolves.
Tajiri’s birth also highlighted the species, which some experts say needs to be preserved.
“April’s impact on the conservation and valuation of animals is immeasurable and long-lasting,” said Jordan Patch, the park’s owner, on Facebook. “April, in a special way, changed the world.”
Before the April pregnancy, many people were unaware that there are more elephants in Africa than giraffes, said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director of the Center for Biological Diversity, which seeks to protect the land and animals. There are about 111,000 giraffes in Africa, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
The attention paid in April came when the center, the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International and others sought to strengthen safeguards for giraffes.
That effort continues as animal conservation and protection groups filed a notice of intent in October to sue the US Fish and Wildlife Service “for failing to consider the Endangered Species Act protections for Africa’s rapidly declining giraffe population. “, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Wildlife experts are concerned about the species’ continuing decline. There is a demand in the United States for giraffe bones, which are used as weapon handles or knives.
“We are potentially a part of the problem,” said Sanerib. “We are driving demand for the species and leading to its disappearance.”
While it may take a while for experts to see an increase in the giraffe population, Sanerib said the impact of April can be measured by the public’s willingness to be educated about the species.
Giraffe products are now regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, an international treaty that helps prevent animals from becoming threatened or extinct due to international trade. Although trade is still allowed, countries have to take steps to ensure that the market does not negatively affect giraffe populations.
“She did a lot for her species by raising the giraffes’ silent extinction,” Sanerib said on Saturday, calling April a “champion” for giraffes.
Some animals in captivity, such as April, are known to have arthritis, Sanerib said. The Animal Adventure Park team last summer began reporting changes in April mobility, the park’s veterinary team said. The vets noticed an onset of osteoarthritis and started treating April with a variety of medications, including painkillers, hoof trimmings and dietary changes, and installed padded floors for her.
Over time, they noticed the decline in mobility in April, prompting them to reevaluate their condition and leading to “the determination that euthanasia was the appropriate and humane course of action,” said the park.
His body was taken to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, where he will be examined. She will be cremated and her ashes returned to the park.
“The loss of an animal as loved as it will be felt in our community, across the country and around the world,” said Patch.