1982-04-15 Long-legged Baby Born.jpg

Miss Hardwick, an adult female giraffe at Great Adventure, gave birth in front of guests at the safari on April 14, 1982.  Visitors who witnessed the live birth from the safari roadway "hoorayed and applauded" when the baby boy giraffe rose to his feet and partially walked to the giraffe barn with his mother.  The newborn giraffe would be named Asbury, because an Asbury Park Press reporter observed the birth along with some of the safari's visitors.  His mother, Miss Hardwick, was named after the company that originally developed GA (Hardwick Companies, Inc.).