Have you been following the saga of April the Giraffe's pregnancy? If so, betcha you can think of an catchy name for the long-awaited-arrival of her baby boy? Exceeding the traditional giraffe pregnancy term of 14-15 months, April’s newborn took 16 months to make his debut on planet Earth!
Perhaps he knew his story had gone viral on the Internet via social networks long before his grand entrance, and wanted to add to his Johnny-come-lately mystique! At least that’s what the animal park where he was born is banking on, as they launch a naming contest to coincide with his welcomed arrival.
April 15th marked the day . . .
The birth of the newest member of the Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York was watched by a packed waiting room. 1.2 million viewers tuned in to the live YouTube stream, and around 800,000 viewers were watching Animal Adventure's Facebook Live video.
An old pro at delivering calves — having delivered three previously — April gave birth to her a fourth on April 15 at 9:50 a.m. ET. For Oliver, the calf’s father, it was his first. So while the waiting game is over, April and her offspring are adding a new element of suspense to this birth — namely, the naming of the calf.
What’s in a Name?
So what name do you think would be the most fitting appellation for this young tyke? That’s right, the Park is leaving it up to the public to have fun picking the moniker. In a GoFundMe campaign, called “Help Us Name April’s Calf,” all you have to do is donate $1 for each name you submit.
The Rules
For 10 days you can enter any name or names you choose for April's new calf. You even get to decide your own spelling. During that time period, you can register as many names as you like [$1 for each name] and can come back and vote as many times as you like.
At the end of the first part of the contest, the park will reveal the top ten names that garnered the most votes. Then you can return and vote on any of those 10 names. This second phase of the promotion will last for 5 days, at which time the voting ends and the winning name will be revealed.
Funds Raised
Funds raised will be split:
- 1) Giraffe Conservation Efforts in the Wild. The park will continue to build towards their banked contribution to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
- 2) Ava's Little Heroes — an event named after the daughter of the park owners, who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy. The funds generated for this annual campaign support local families and their children experiencing unexpected medical journeys and expenses.
- 3) Animal Adventure Park. The park will continue to improve the animal and guest experiences at the facility with further improvements and projects.
Got any ideas?
So to get your creative juices flowing, think about names that might best describe April’s bouncing, baby boy. Names like ’Stretch,’ ‘Johnny-Come-Lately,’ ‘Longneck,’ ‘Oliverson, 'Daddy-Long-Legs,’ ’Shorty,’ ’Number 4,’ and ‘Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’ come to my mind.
Feel free to use them if they haven’t already been taken. Or perhaps they might spark some other ideas that relate to this young calf's height, long neck, or his most notable characteristic of arriving late. Have fun! Best of luck! And pleased do let us know if you made it to the final 10, so we can help you in the voting!
