Poll: Would you announce an animal expecting?
A MUCH TALLER MAMMAL IN NEW YORK HAS US WAITING WITH BAITED BREATH. APRIL, A GIRAFFE AT THE ANIMAL ADVENTURE PARK IN HARPURSVILLE IS EXPECTING A BABY – AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE EAGERLY AWAITING ITS ARRIVAL, AS THE EXPECTANT MOTHER IS CURRENTLY BEING WATCHED AROUND THE WORLD ON LIVE STREAMING VIDEO.
UP NEXT, JUSTINE RAY BRINGS US TO ONE CLASSROOM – WHERE APRIL THE GIRAFFE SERVES AS A TEACHER.
THE STUDENTS IN MS. FENESCEY'S SCIENCE CLASS AT HARPURSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL HAD THEIR EYES GLUED TO THE SCREEN AWAITING THE BIRTH OF APRIL THE GIRAFFE'S BABY.
BARBARA FENESCEY / SCIENCE TEACHER: "HOPEFULLY TODAY'S THE DAY."
AND THEY HAVE BEEN WATCHING SINCE THE BEGINNING.
BARBARA FENESCEY / SCIENCE TEACHER: "WE KEEP THE LIVE FEED OPEN ON THE SCREEN ON THE BOARD JUST SO WE CAN KEEP UP TO DATE."
SCOTT TUROCK / 7TH GRADE: "IT IS REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE IT IS ENCOURAGING FOR ME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANIMALS."
FENESCEY IS USING THE INTERNET SENSATION AT ANIMAL ADVENTURE PARK IN HARPURSVILLE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH THE KIDS LESSONS THEY OTHERWISE WOULDN'T LEARN ABOUT.
BARBARA FENESCEY / SCIENCE TEACHER: "WE STUDY LIFE SCIENCE ANYWAY SO IT IS WONDERFUL TO ADD AN ANOTHER ANIMAL TO STUDY ONE WE WOULD NOT NORMALLY SEE."
JUSTINE RE / CORRESPONDENT (STANDUP): "RIGHT NOW WE ARE ANXIOUSLY WATCHING THE LIVE FEED WAITING FOR APRIL THE GIRAFFE TO GIVE BIRTH AND I AM LEARNING A LOT ABOUT GIRAFFE'S IN MS. FENESCEY'S ONE THING I LEARNED IS GIRAFFE'S GIVE BIRTH STANDING UP."
BARBARA FENESCEY / SCIENCE TEACHER: "THE NEWBORN CALF DROPS 6 FEET TO THE FLOOR AND SOME STUDENTS WERE AFRAID THAT WOULD INJURE THE CALF BUT IT REALLY HELPS THE CALF TO START BREATHING AND BREAKS THE UMBILICAL CHORD."
APRIL COULD GIVE BIRTH ANY DAY NOW, ANY MINUTE--BUT IT'S HARD TO KNOW EXACTLY WHEN.
BARBARA FENESCEY / SCIENCE TEACHER: "SHE IS NOT GOING TO SHOW ANY SIGNS OF LABOR BECAUSE IF SHE WAS IN THE WILD, PREDATORS WOULD BE AWARE THAT SHE IS GOING TO HAVE A YOUNG GIRAFFE AND THAT WOULD BE PREY."
AND THE STUDENTS ARE SO ENGAGED AND EXCITED THEY EVEN HAVE NAMES PICKED OUT FOR THE BABY ON THE WAY.
SCOTT TUROCK / 7TH GRADE: "I HAVE HARPUR AFTER HARPURSVILLE IF IT IS A GIRL."
THE WORLD WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT, STAY PATIENT, AND KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON APRIL.
IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOTE THAT, AS OF OUR RECORDING THIS - APRIL HAS NOT YET GIVEN BIRTH, BUT THAT MIGHT HAVE CHANGED BY THE TIME YOU WATCH THIS EPISODE!
WHILE ALL EYES HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON APRIL IN NEW YORK -- SURPRISE!!!
ANOTHER BABY GIRAFFE SHOWED UP –UNANNOUNCED- IN DENVER!!
LITTLE DOBBY WAS BORN LAST WEEK AT THE DENVER ZOO AND IS DOING WELL. THE PREGNANCY ITSELF WAS UNPLANNED – AND THE DENVER ZOO HAS A POLICY OF NOT ANNOUNCING WHEN ITS ANIMALS ARE EXPECTING.
THAT BRINGS US TO THIS WEEK’S POLL QUESTION. WE JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT HOW TWO DIFFERENT ZOOS HANDLED THE PREGNANCY OF GIRAFFES IN THEIR CARE. THE ANIMAL ADVENTURE PARK IN NEW YORK WAS AS OPEN AS POSSIBLE – EVEN STREAMING THE BIRTH ONLINE, WHILE THE DENVER ZOO DIDN’T ANNOUNCE THE PREGNANCY AT ALL. SO WE WANT TO KNOW: DO YOU THINK ZOOS SHOULD ANNOUNCE WHEN ANIMALS ARE EXPECTING? CLICK THE POLL BUTTON ON OUR WEBSITE TO TELL US YES OR NO! AFTER YOU’VE VOTED, WRITE TO US – AND TELL US HOW YOU VOTED AND WHY!
WHETHER THEY ANNOUNCE OR NOT, ANY GIRAFFE BIRTHS ARE A GOOD THING – BECAUSE GIRAFFES WERE RECENTLY LISTED AS “VULNERABLE” TO EXTINCTION BY THE INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF NATURE. ACCORDING TO THEIR REPORT, IN THE PAST 30 YEARS, THE GLOBAL GIRAFFE POPULATION HAS DECLINED BETWEEN 36 PERCENT AND 40 PERCENT, AND GIRAFES COULD FACE EXTINCTION, IF THE TREND ISN'T REVERSED.
THE REASON; IS A GROWING HUMAN POPULATION, WHICH HAS DISRUPTED THE HABITAT OF THE WORLD’S TALLEST LAND MAMMAL. BUT STEPS HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT GIRAFFE HABITATS IN AFRICA.
Instuctional Links
NY: School Use live stream giraffe
Website & Live Streaming Video: Animal Adventure Park, April the Giraffe
Website Article: Defenders of Wildlife, Kids Planet, Factsheets, Giraffe
CO: Surprise Giraffe Zoo policy
Magazine Article: EBSCOhost Scholastic Action, Animals Locked Up, April 6, 2012. | May need password.
Giraffe Vulnerable to Extinction
Website Article: Treehugger, Giraffes? Horses?? 20 Animals You Didn't Know Are Going Extinct
Website Article: Giraffe Conservation, FAQs
Website Article: Animal Fact Guide, Giraffe | Include map & links to other sources
Lesson Plan: Endangered Species Coalition, Science Lesson Plan, Endangered Species Day | Designed for multiple grade levels with classroom resources.