There's no telling who or what is going to become the newest online phenomenon. The internet spent days arguing about the color of a dress, and livestreams have allowed people all over the world to watch and comment on police chases, sporting events, and political protests together.
The latest craze featured April the Giraffe, an online sensation whose pregnancy has been a story of public interest for months. At its peak, the livestream from her home at the Animal Adventure Park in New York drew almost five million people per day.
Saturday ended up being the big day. As word began to spread that birth was imminent early Saturday morning, excitement levels for the big event went through the roof:
The magic moment came after a few hours of pacing from April, and it happened fast and furious once she was ready:
Despite the birth being a point of interest for so long, there were quite a few people who didn't seem equipped to handle watching an animal birth. The so-called "miracle of life" doesn't necessarily have to be pretty:
But the general consensus was one of joy, and most people who sat around watching April give birth used this (probably) once-in-a-lifetime event to express excitement and get their jokes off:
If you missed out on the birth of April's child, the good news is you can always run back the footage. But a word of advice: next time there's a viral craze surrounding the birth of an animal, remember that you're signing up to watch an unpredictable, often unpleasant birthing process. A doctor can't talk a giraffe (or any other animal) through it or try to goad a living creature into moving at the pace they want. Prepare for a long, possibly pretty gross video, and you'll be just fine.
