Quantcast
Channel: NBC 7 San Diego - Top Stories
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live

Clinton on What She'd Do Differently: 'I'd Win'

0
0

Hillary Clinton spoke at Wellesley College on Thursday and imagined what she would have done differently.

"I'd win," Clinton said in response to a student who asked the former secretary of state how she would change things if she were to run again.

Clinton went on to note her campaign had underestimated the effect that Russian hacking and FBI director James Comey's announcements about her emails would have on her campaign, witnesses told NBC News.

"There is only one other place I'd rather be," Clinton quipped, according to recent Wellesley grad Ashley Funk, who live-tweeted the event, which took place behind closed doors.

"You have to be willing to take a lot of unfair criticism," Clinton advised any would-be candidates, according to Funk. "Do not underestimate the value of stubbornness." 



Photo Credit: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

WindanSea Surf Shack: A Historical Landmark

0
0

When locals think of WindanSea Beach in La Jolla, they think of a little wooden structure known as The Surf Shack. The small shelter was originally built in the 1940s by WWII soldiers who enjoyed surfing at the famous WindanSea break.

Photo Credit: Monica Garske

Clinton Speaks at Harvard on Diplomacy as Secretary of State

0
0

Hillary Clinton visited Harvard University Friday to talk about her time as secretary of state, according to the Harvard Crimson.

The former Democratic presidential candidate participated in an interview as part of the American Secretaries of State Project, a join venture of the Kennedy School, Law School and Business School.

Clinton also took part in a "Fireside Chat" with students from Harvard’s Institute of Politics.

Launched in 2012, the American Secretaries of State Project hopes to interview all living former U.S. secretaries of state about their experiences conducting international negotiations while in office, the Crimson reported.

Clinton served as secretary of state under former President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013.

It was Clinton's second speaking engagement at an instituation of higher education in less than 24 hours. She also stopped by Wellesley University, her alma mater, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Thursday night.

Ashley Funk, who graduated from Wellesley College in 2016, told NBC News that Clinton reminisced of her time at the school and spoke "extensively" about the value of working in public service.

Funk said Clinton "encouraged us to stay resilient, stubborn, and grateful throughout our careers."

"One of my favorite quotes was 'Do not underestimate the value of stubbornness,'" she said. 



Photo Credit: AP

Travel & Adventure Show Treks Into San Diego

0
0

Calling all travelers and adventure seekers: the 4th annual San Diego Travel & Adventure show treks into town this weekend, offering a glimpse into the trips that await.

The expo takes place on at the downtown San Diego Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

From segway rides and photo booths, and even camel rides, visitors will experience the world of travel right on the show floor. The 2017 San Diego Travel & Adventure Show is full of interactive, hands-on activities fit for the whole family.

Attendees will get to listen to experts' advice on how to travel safer and cheaper, how to maximize reward points, packing tips and other travel hacks designed to maximize travel experiences.

Notable travel celebrities such as "The Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan and travel editor Peter Greenberg will be sharing anecdotes, interesting facts and beautiful photography that illustrate the countless treasures traveling has to offer.

Of course, what’s a travel expo without some international flavors? Visitors will get the chance to taste cultural dishes from around the globe. Noted chefs Anthony Martorina of Culinary Fight Club, Chef Bruce Chen from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Chef Javier Plascencia of Bracero Cocina, will be offering live cooking demonstrations and samples of their tasty dishes.

With cultural performances from around the globe, visitors will get to experience authentic cultural music and dance presentations from international performers, too. Performances will include Beats from the Bahamas, Dances of Guatemala, 2,000-year-old ancient temple dance of Odissi, and Tribal Belly Dance.

The show will also offer thousands of dollars in savings with show-only travel deals, and will feature must-have travel products and gadgets.

Tickets can be purchased online. A one-day ticket costs $11 for adults; children 16 and under get in free. You can also buy a ticket for both days of the show for $18. Tickets will also be available at the door for $15 for a single day or $18 for the two-day admission.

For tickets and information, visit the event website.



Photo Credit: Shutterstock / sumroeng chinnapan

Traffic Hassles Add to City’s New Fire Stations Quest

0
0

San Diego is facing complex challenges getting ten more fire stations that consultants say are desperately needed in so-called “coverage gaps”.

While the city's about halfway there, it has a lot more residents, medical emergencies and cross-town traffic to handle now than when the consultants made that recommendation in 2010.

“We have some of the worst traffic in the country during our commute hours, and we feel that as firefighters. It's frustrating,” said Alan Arrollado, president of San Diego Fire Fighters Local 145.

“It's hard to get around and it makes it very difficult, and we don't see any relief in that area as well,” Arrollado told NBC 7 in an interview Friday. “We see traffic getting worse with the growth we're anticipating."

It's a great day when ground for new fire stations is broken by the politicians.

It's been a rare day too, since the Great Recession that came on the heels of San Diego's financial debacles.

But even once they open to public fanfare, studies show that engines in half of the stations can't get to emergencies within five minutes on first alarms during commute hours.

The department has only six percent coverage of what's called the "street network" if several units are needed to "cross large sections" of the city during those rush hours.

"With the synthetics that we're seeing in the buildings today,” Arrollado noted. “We're seeing our fires growing at a much faster rate and a much greater intensity."

All the more reason for units to get on-scene more quickly.

Two-member "fast response squads" are assigned to three areas -- the latest one, in a house on Governor Drive that's costing taxpayers $3,500 a month over a three-year lease.

For neighbors in University City, that's a comforting setup.

"They show up at 8 o'clock in the morning and leave at 8 o'clock at night, and right on time,” said homeowner Jeff Newman. “They don't run their sirens until they’re away from the houses. They're very respectful neighbors and it's great having them here."

San Diego's Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) chief said covering the gaps during peak periods is a key investment.

"There's never going to be enough. So we've got to be creative, we've got to identify ways that we can provide those services in a manner that are different and unique but are consistent with what the public expects."

The City Council's Public Safety Committee takes up the issues next week -- knowing SDFD is way understaffed.

And operating costs are such that maintaining new stations will be as hard as locating affordable space and building them.



Photo Credit: Monica Garske

Coronado to Stop Participating in Funeral Processions

0
0

The City of Coronado and the Coronado Unified School district will no longer take part in funeral processions honoring fallen members of the military.

There have been three processions in the last several years according to a city spokesperson, and they have grown more sophisticated with flag-waving participants lining local streets.

Thousands have attended learning about routes through social media.

According to a statement from city:

“To address security concerns and a sensitivity to the local children of deployed family members, the City of Coronado and Coronado Unified School District, with the support of Naval Base Coronado, are redirecting their participation in military funeral processions to other forms of support and encouragement for our military families.”

The decision is getting mixed reaction from community members.

“I do have a very emotional attachment to it, and I understand the importance of showing respect and honor for our fallen warriors, but on the other hand, I’m aware of the impact it has on the city and our children,” said Jim Woolway, a 38-year Navy veteran and volunteer patrol officer in Coronado.

But others called the decision “curious”, since the processions are meant to honor those who have fallen.

“I certainly understand the idea that it’s a reminder of death and it would be a reminder of death to kids and potentially traumatizing, but up until this moment in time, its always seemed to me to be something we absorb as a society and learn from,” said Coronado resident John Phillips.

Some felt the processions should continue without student involvement.

“I really feel it’s something that we should do just because these guys have put their lives on the line and I think we should respect them for doing that,” said 56-year Coronado resident Robin Greer.

In a statement, both the city and school district said they would continue to honor and support the military in other ways:

“The City sponsors the Avenue of Heroes banner program to honor residents who served or are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. The City also recently installed the 'First Ashore' statue at Glorietta Bay Park to honor early and current SEAL teams, and in previous years paid tribute to local military heroes, including Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale, with memorials around Coronado. The City also participates in an annual Memorial Day ceremony at Star Park and sponsors an annual Wounded Warriors event at the Community Center, among other events. The School District honors the military through numerous annual events and mentorship programs including its annual 'Take a Veteran to School Day,' Naval Base Coronado’s 'What Memorial Day Means to Me' essay contest, after school clubs for military children, and various 'Month of the Military Child' activities in April."



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Jurors in Aaron Hernandez Murder Case Visit Shooting Scene

0
0

Jurors in the double-murder trial of ex-NFL star Aaron Hernandez ventured to several related to the 2012 slayings. 

On Friday, the panel of 15 people spent about two hours at the Cure Lounge in Boston, Massachusetts where prosecutors say one of the victims bumped into the former Patriots tight end, spilling his drink.

The jury also stopped at the Tufts parking garage, where the victims were seen in surveillance video leaving in a BMW. They were also taken to the site of the shooting scene and a Boston Police Department evidence facility where they were shown the Toyota 4Runner Hernandez and his former friend, Alexander Bradley, were allegedly in when the shooting occurred.

By Friday afternoon, jurors had returned to the court room to hear testimony from a Cure Lounge manager and review security footage of Hernandez's interaction with his alleged victims, Safiro Furtado and Daniel de Abreu.

Hernandez's lawyer said during opening statements that Bradley is the real killer. Bradley is expected to be the prosecution's star witness against Hernandez.

On Thursday, the jurors were shown photos of a silver SUV with Rhode Island plates at a parking garage near the club, the site of the 2012 murders.

Hernandez is accused of gunning down Furtado and de Abreu from the SUV.



Photo Credit: NBC Boston

One Injured in Santee House Fire

0
0

At least one person was taken to the hospital after a house fire sparked in Santee Friday evening.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO), the fire began at 5:17 p.m. on the 9400 block of Slope Street near Atlas View Drive.

The fire was located inside the garage of a home, SDSO said.

Nearby homes were also evacuated.

At this point, the extent of injuries to the person is unknown.

No other information was available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news.



Photo Credit: FACEBOOK

La Mesa PD Offers Safe Zone for Online Marketplace Users

0
0

The La Mesa Police Department (LMPD) is following its neighbor’s lead in providing its community with designated zones for buyers and sellers finalizing online marketplace transactions.

LMPD announced Wednesday that it will designate two parking stalls its headquarters, located at 8085 University Avenue, as a “Transaction Zone”.

Buyers and sellers trading goods on classified websites like Craigslist and apps like Shopify and OfferUp can meet face to face in the Transaction Zone to better protect themselves from theft and fraud.

Last month a woman was robbed at gunpoint at a park in Chollas Creek by a man she thought was meeting her to buy her high-end electronic equipment. Countless others are victimized by deceptive online postings every day.

A few days before the woman was robbed in Chollas Creek, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) announced it would start providing Designated Online Transaction Spaces, or DOTS, at the department’s Northeastern Division station at 13396 Salmon River Road in Rancho Pensaquitos.

SDPD recommends making use of DOTS on weekdays during normal business hours.



Photo Credit: San Diego Police Department

Local Youth Volunteer Gets Big Surprise

0
0

You can probably remember exactly how you felt when you got your first car, but for 20-year-old Jessica Loya, the world opened up in a surprise moment.

Loya lost her dad to brain cancer less than a year ago.

Her mother spiraled back into drugs and is now homeless, leaving Jessica to fend for herself and her 17-year-old brother.

Despite all of her hardships, which included foster care as a youth, she volunteers for an organization called Young Life, mentoring a group of freshman girls at Kearny High School.

She attends their sporting events, bible studies, and camps, and does it all by using Uber.

A group of adults fundraising for Young Life became so captivated by Loya's dedication, they pooled together money for a 2007 Toyota Prius.

The surprise reveal was captured on video.

"I was crying and then I was good and then I got in the car and was just thinking of my dad and whenever we had hard times as a child, we might have had a situation where we didn't have some place to sleep that night, and my dad's like ‘it's ok, God is going to do something’ and little did you know a church opens up a place for us," said Loya.

Even though Loya now has the car, the fundraising efforts are still underway with about $1500 to go.

A benevolence fund was set up through Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church for anyone wanting to provide a tax deductible gift.

GOP Tamps Down Sessions Criticism; Dems Ramp It Up

0
0

Congressional Republicans are muting their criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions one day after a handful of key GOP officials broke ranks with him and President Donald Trump over Sessions' contacts with a Russian official.

Since Sessions' decision Thursday to recuse himself from investigations involving Trump campaign contacts with Russia, critical Republicans have either supported his decision or refrained from commenting, NBC News reported.

Democrats, meanwhile, are intensifying calls for accountability, demanding more answers about his and the administration's ties to Russia.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman was one of a handful of Republicans who called for Sessions to recuse himself on Thursday and now says he is satisfied with the decision.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, is among those who say Sessions should step down.

Sessions planned to file amended testimony on Monday, a Justice Department spokesman said.



Photo Credit: Susan Walsh/AP

Undocumented Parents Worried for Kids' Futures in U.S.

0
0

Many undocumented parents, with minor children who were born in the U.S. are facing a tough choice.

Who will they leave their children with if they are deported?

In 2015, more than 15,000 undocumented immigrants, who claimed to have at least one U.S. Citizen child were processed for removal, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Studies done by the Migration Policy Institute, estimate there are 5 million children under the age of 18, living with at least one undocumented parent. Seventy-nine percent of those children are U.S. Citizens.

Casa Cornelia Law Center Executive Director, Carmen Chavez suggests families get informed because having a preparedness plan in place is invaluable.

Chavez said parents should have an open conversation with their families, create a power of attorney, update children’s emergency contacts at school, and leave a clear outline of what should be done with any assets left behind.

“It might be that the parents are returning to an uncertain future in their country of origin," she said.

According to Chavez, the parents fear putting their children in a bad environment.

“I have spoken to clients of mine that say my child is a U.S. Citizen. They should be here because they are U.S. Citizens," Chavez said.

NBC 7 spoke with some families who are facing a similar situation. Although many agreed this was important information, others are afraid to comment on a public forum.

“The human side, the real side, is that some of these persons are parents, parents of U.S. Citizens. They might be caretakers for elderly parents," explains Chavez.

In some of the worst cases, parents can lose custody of their children, and the children could end up in foster care.

People needing help finding the right type of legal assistance can contact the San Diego County Bar Association’s attorney referral program.

SoyNut Butter Co. Recalls Butter Due to Possible Link to E. Coli

0
0

The SoyNut Butter Co. has recalled its I.M. Healthy Original Creamy SoyNut Butter in response to the Food and Drug Administration alerting the company about a possible link between the product and an E. Coli outbreak.

Twelve people infected with E. Coli have been reported from five states: Arizona, California, Maryland, New Jersey and Oregon, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Six people have been hospitalized. Four people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, though no deaths have been reported, said the CDC.

The recalled products are branded with the "Best By" date of Aug. 30, 2018, or Aug. 31, 2018.

The Illinois-based company advises consumers who have purchased the product to not consume it. The recall does not effect any other I.M. Healthy products except for the I.M. Healthy Original Creamy, the company said.

The CDC advises consumers to throw away the products even if they have consumed it and no one got sick.

For more information about the product, SoyNut Butter Co. can be contacted at 800-288-1012.



Photo Credit: SoyNut Butter Co.

Backlog to Delay Removal of Test Bombs in Clairemont Area

0
0

Residents in Clairemont will have to wait quite some time for the removal of old test bombs in their community.

The new timetable set by the Army Corps of Engineers is 2085.

On Thursday night, residents of Clairemont gathered at a town council meeting to talk face-to-face with representatives from the Army Corps of Engineering.

“I'm just kind of stuck is what I'm feeling,” said Janet Lancaster.

She first got a notice from the Department of Defense earlier this year. It stated the area was once used as a test bombing site. Pilots would drop bombs full of sand with a shotgun charge to practice their accuracy in the 1930s and 1940s.

A representative from the Army Corps of Engineers said money is the main reason for the long delay in remediation. It has to prioritize its resources.

These situations are usually rated on a scale of one to eight. The lower the number, the more dangerous it is--Clairemont is a five.

Now, these munitions are dangerous and potentially.

But because Clairemont is already such a developed area, the Army Corps of Engineers believes the risk of one turning up is low.

Still, that doesn’t help Janet Lancaster.

“In a couple of years, my husband and I will retire and I will probably sell the house so that we can travel and I have a concern about the property value because this has to be disclosed,” Lacaster said.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Trump Plans to Expand Immigrant Detention, Documents Say

0
0

The Trump administration is planning to radically expand the program and facilities for the detention of immigrant families seeking asylum in the United States, according to documents obtained exclusively by MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes."

Last month, Asylum Division Chief John Lafferty said DHS had already located 20,000 beds for the indefinite detention of those seeking asylum, according to notes from the meeting obtained by "All In." This would represent a nearly 500 percent increase from current capacity.

The plan is part of a new set of policies for those apprehended at the border that would make good on President Donald Trump's campaign promise to end the practice critics call "catch and release."

"If implemented, this expansion in immigration detention would be the fastest and largest in our country's history," says Andrew Free, an immigration lawyer in Nashville who represents clients applying for asylum.



Photo Credit: Ricardo Arduengo, AP (File)

Man Fatally Shot by Deputy in San Marcos Identified

0
0

The man, shot and killed by a San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy in a gated community in San Marcos was identified Friday.

Isidro Bazan Jr., 34, a transient, was killed in a confrontation with deputies inside the garage of a home on Edgewater Drive just after 3 a.m. on Wednesday. 

Deputies had been responding to a report of an intruder inside the home in the Silver Crest gated community. The location of the community is south of State Route 78 and west of Interstate 15 in San Diego's North County.

According to SDSO, the homeowner reported he was upstairs in a room with his family and the suspect, now identified to be Bazan, was downstairs carrying a baseball bat.

When deputies arrived on scene, Bazan ran into the garage. During a confrontation, he threatened to kill the deputies and himself, telling them that he was armed with a Glock 40.

When Bazan ran out of the garage, one deputy fired a less-lethal weapon at him.

SDSO said the second deputy believed Bazan was going to use his weapon and fired two rounds, striking Bazan once in the torso.

Bazan died on scene.

On Friday, SDSO said the object held by Bazan had been a dark colored butane torch.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (888)580-8477.

Lay Off Notices to be Handed out to SDUSD Employees

0
0

More than 1,400 lay off notices will be sent to employees within the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), starting next week, NBC 7 confirmed Friday.

The layoffs come after the district voted on Tuesday to make a $124 million budget cut to balance out their deficit. They will also offer early retirement packages to more than 1,500 teachers, who are of retirement age to save jobs.

According to the district, 1,476 pink slips will be delivered to employees.

But the district said that does not mean this will be the number of people losing their jobs nor the number of positions being eliminated.

When it comes to teachers, nurses and counselors, 473 full time positions will be eliminated but lay off notices will be sent to 891 certificated employees by March 10.

When it comes to classified employees, 404 full time positions will be eliminated but 585 people will get the pink slip.

One hundred senior administrators will also be eliminated.

The district said this is due to the number of people who are only employed part-time.

In total, 977 full time positions will be eliminated in the district.

SDUSD sent an email to NBC 7 Friday evening with the new number of lay off notices. You can read the full email here.

Homeless Moving Back to SD River After Powerful Storm

0
0

Clean-up is still underway in Mission Valley after the powerful storm ripped through earlier this week. One of the hardest hit areas was along the San Diego River. 

It's home to nearly 250 of the city's homeless. 

Last week, NBC 7 spoke with a homeless man who lived just steps away from Fashion Valley Mall. After Monday's storm, we received many emails from viewers wondering what happened to him and if he's okay. NBC 7 found him but now, home is much different.

Rick Primmer has called a spot along the river home for the past couple of months.

He showed NBC 7 around a few weeks ago.

"This is kind of a neat little spot when I found it," he said.

What was once hidden from the world in tall bamboo-like canes, now looks much different.

"There's so much dead stuff around I can kind of camouflage it a bit," he added.

Primmer was like hundreds of others on Monday who took shelter outside the Central Library in Downtown San Diego.  

He added, "I was one that got to sleep in my clothes because everything was back at the camp." 

Others were not so lucky escaping the floodwaters and had to be rescued. 

Primmer said he has had to search for his belongings, caked in mud and barely recognizable. He added that he as well as others will continue to live there, making what is known as the hidden community along the river. 

"We're just beginning to get back into our little camps and drying off. Right now everything is mud," he said.

As of Friday night, the San Diego River stood at a little over four feet. On Monday, it was 10 feet higher than that, at 14.15 feet--the third highest of all time.

Mother of Missing Woman Looking for Answers

0
0

A mother from Arizona is devastated after her daughter disappeared two weeks ago near the Sunset Cliffs area of San Diego.

What was supposed to be a short vacation for 30-year-old Amanda "Mandy" Cruse, has turned into her family’s longest nightmare.

Cruse was last seen at five in the morning, on Feb.19 near Sunset Cliffs.

“it was very dark at that time of the morning,” said Rosemarie St. Michael. ”It was rainy and very windy because of the storm on the 19th and that Sunday.”

Cruse's family confirmed she had made the trip down to San Diego during President’s Day weekend. She left Scottsdale early Saturday morning and made it to San Diego in the afternoon.

She checked into the Cabrillo Inn & Suites in the afternoon, then headed to the Sunset Cliffs to take pictures on her cellphone of sunset.

The next morning, she left the hotel before 4:30 am.

Her family said surveillance footage on Monaco Street showed that Cruse had parked her car at 5:02 AM. She put her backpack and purse in the back seat, locked the car. She also left her cell phone in the car.

Rosemarie, Cruse's mother talked to neighbors on the block, looking for answers.

“We’re trying to figure out why...it’s a big why," she said.

“She is a free spirit,” Rosemarie said. “She is very independent. She travels a lot she goes on her own and this trip was really planned for October but she’s spontaneous. She had never been to San Diego."

Detectives with the San Diego Police Department have opened a missing persons investigation.

Investigators are not considering the case suspicious at the time.

Anyone who has information on Cruse's whereabouts are asked to contact their local police department.



Photo Credit: San Diego Police Department

April the Giraffe 'Progressing', Contractions Possible: Zoo

0
0

Move over, Beyonce — there's a cute new baby bump in town.

Keepers at the upstate New York zoo say that April the pregnant giraffe is growing, as is her appetite (she's feeding a 6-foot, 150-pound calf, after all). They said she had a good, but active Friday night and appeared to contract.

"April, as many of you observed, had a good night but very active," the zoo wrote in its daily update on Facebook. "We must remember a 6 [foot] 150 [pound] baby is performing acrobatic routines inside!"

The mom-to-be enjoyed munching on morning treats Saturday, the zoo said. 

A photo posted to the zoo's facebook page shows April's rotund belly curving out and downward, a sign that she's nearing the home stretch of her pregnancy, says owner Jordan Patch.

"She's progressing well in her pregnancy," he said. "She's not in any pain, things are good."

Nearly 68,000 people tuned in to watch the gentle giant Saturday morning as she gazed out her window and trotted around her pen, at times peering over the dividing fence to catch a glimpse of her mate, Oliver.

 

April changed some of her behaviors overnight Friday; she choose new spots to stand and sleep and strayed off her usual naptime routine, the Animal Adventure Park said in a Facebook post Friday. Her caretaker, Alyssa, said that calf movements inside her belly are more visible with each day that passes, and added that the baby was particularly restless overnight Thursday.

The Harpursville zoo tantalized fans Thursday night, posting with excitement, "April is – without question – growing!” The zoo said keepers were able to “get hands on the belly” and “make contact” with April’s baby giraffe. 

The zoo also said April appears “a little more on edge” and is “not being as lovely as usual.” 

Cold weather could shake things up for the expecting giraffe, the zoo said. But snow and ice mean no outside time for the long-necked beauty and her mate. That means more enrichment activities, training sessions and extra attention from the team, the zoo said.

April has captivated tens of millions of people across the world who have been checking in on her via the live stream in anticipation of the birth of her fourth calf. Patch says the natural curiosity surrounding giraffes and their birthing process has been a huge factor in drawing crowds.

"I think the fact that she's a giraffe and she's a neat species that people are interested in, that's fostered a lot of the attention," he said. "The fact that you're gonna get to witness the miracle of birth from an animal that you really don't get to see give birth — that's neat."

He added that April's pregnancy is not just live entertainment, but a teachable moment and source for education.

April's pregnancy was catapulted into global headlines last week after YouTube briefly yanked the zoo's live stream following complaints by animal activists that it violated the site's policies concerning "nudity and sexual content." Thousands upon thousands of commenters voiced their frustration on Facebook and YouTube, and the stream was restored within an hour or so. 

Giraffe pregnancies last for 15 months. Labor lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Once April goes into active labor, zookeepers will go in to help her the rest of the way. The calf will be about 150 pounds and 6 feet tall at birth and up and walking in about an hour.

The zoo said it will hold an online competition to name the baby giraffe once it's born.



Photo Credit: Erica Davies
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images