The spotlight is back on Harpursville, New York this week. Famously known as the home of April, the almost indefinitely pregnant giraffe, all eyes are back on America’s favorite new mother and her little boy.
Early Wednesday morning, Taj, the long-awaited newborn giraffe, was found hanging from a rope in its enclosure. In an interview, Zookeeper Danny Barker points to the animal’s internet stardom.
“April spent the last several months in the limelight, and that pressure hasn’t stopped for Taj. It’s changed the natural environment of the zoo to a more artificial, and often more particular scenario for these animals. Being connected 24/7 has lead to a major shift in how these animals behave and socialize.”
To continue to promote the zoo, live internet feeds have allowed the world to watch and marvel at April and her son, changing the way the public interacts with zoo animals.
“Taj has really taken to the Internet as a source of reinforcement. Unfortunately, the young giraffe was bullied by a small group of anonymous spectators who tricked the naive animal into attempting suicide.”
Currently, Taj is receiving treatment and is in a stable condition, but the zoo will be keeping the feeds off until proper measures can be put in place to protect the animals from Internet trolls.
