Fan Fest Fuzzies: Watch Baby Fiona Get Stronger By the Day!
I’m a complete sucker for all things babies, and recently I have been following the story of a baby hippo named, Fiona. If you haven’t heard about her, she was born January 24th, 6 weeks ahead of schedule, at the Cincinnati Zoo. As the first Nile hippo born to the zoo in nearly 75 years, she only weighed 29lbs and was too weak to stand on her own. Normally baby hippos can be close to 120lbs at birth so she was way too tiny and required 24 hour care.
Since her parents (Bibi and Henry) are kept nearby, they were able to combine the mother’s milk with supplements to help provide the necessary nutrients for Fiona. Once she is strong enough, they do plan to reintroduce her to her mother, Bibi. Baby Fiona also made history as she was the first Nile hippo fetus to be captured in ultrasound images.
The zoo keepers have been documenting her progress as she steadily grows stronger and it’s been amazing to watch. Going from barely being able to stand to learning how to climb a ramp, this little fighter has gotten a lot of well-deserved attention. Watch her milestone moments that will just melt your hearts!
Welcoming baby Fiona to the world!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX0EJsjx4NM [/embedyt]
Fiona taking her first steps.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_jnI3CRJJo [/embedyt]
Fiona’s first pool experience.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVlgjeTE3j8 [/embedyt]
Graduating to a bigger pool and a bigger bottle! Go Fiona!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp0v8UTgR2M&t=1s [/embedyt]
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktsrBivGGBg [/embedyt]
And finally baby Fiona is taught how to use her ramp that goes into her pool. As she has gotten stronger, she has physically grown bigger (73 lbs heavy) so its become increasingly difficult for the care staff to carry her in and out of her pool.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTD89n5gyGQ [/embedyt]
We all love a good story about perseverance and fighting the odds. This adorable hippo is doing just that with the help of some great vets and animal care staff! If you would like to learn more about baby Fiona’s future progress visit the Cincinnati Zoo’s website.
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