Giraffe kisses! April the giraffe’s calf has met his dad, Oliver, and it made for the most precious, heartwarming photo ever!
Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York, tweeted the adorable snap of the father-son introduction on Tuesday, April 18. In the pic, Oliver leans down and touches his baby’s nose through a fence. (Oliver is currently separated from April and the calf for their safety.) “Dad & Baby meet!” the tweet read.
The zoo owner, Jordan Patch, told Good Morning America on Monday, April 17, that it’s rare for male giraffes to help with their newborns’ upbringing. “Oliver — usually males have no part in raising of the young — [but] he’s actually been quite inquisitive and getting nose to nose with baby,” he said. “It’s creating some very cute moments.”
As fans all over the world saw via livestream, April the giraffe gave birth to her fourth calf on Saturday, April 15, after 16 months of pregnancy. Approximately 1.2 million people watched as she welcomed the baby, who weighed 129 pounds and measured 5 feet, 9 inches.
The newborn giraffe doesn’t yet have a name since Animal Adventure Park is holding a contest to name the calf. Animal lovers everywhere can submit a name for the baby until April 25 at nameaprilscalf.com. Each submission costs $1 with a minimum purchase of five name suggestions for $5. At the end of the voting period, the zoo will open another voting contest with the 10 most popular names. All proceeds will benefit giraffe conservation events, the zoo and Ava’s Little Heroes, a charity for families who face unexpected medical expenses.
