Keepers at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, USA, were ecstatic when they first learned that their male and female hippos, Henry and Bibi, were expecting! Everyone was thrilled to go on this journey and bring forth a new little calf into the world. What they didn’t expect was how arduous the adventure would be. The gestation period of a hippo is 8 months (~243 days), and when Bibi went into labor two months earlier than she was supposed to, everyone became deeply concerned.
From the moment a hippo is born, they come into contact with water, typically delivering underwater and growing up to spend around 16 hours a day swimming! But, because Bibi’s delivery was so premature and therefore unexpected, Fiona was born indoors. The staff at the zoo wasn’t prepared for Fiona’s birth, which took place in the middle of the night, but adapted immediately and promptly took her into their care. She was also only 29 lbs., half of the weight of a normal baby hippo!
Zookeepers had to work fast if they wanted to keep Fiona alive. She needed serious intervention. Her temperature was already starting to drop and her skin was dry and needed to be kept wet. The crew came together to create their own intensive care unit with only one goal, save Fiona the baby hippo!
It was an uphill battle because Fiona required around the clock care. They even had to reach out to a rhino orphanage in Africa for some advice about how to keep her skin wet because the keepers were new to this. They also set up a makeshift hippo nursery just for her — this was all in the first week!
The dedicated group of people loved Fiona from the moment they saw her on the ultrasound weeks prior to her delivery and they only wanted the best for her. But, it was a gamble every step of the way. Her health would improve, then she would get sick. She was constantly hitting roadblocks, and there were times when the outcome looked bleak, and no one knew how she would make it. However, because of their efforts and focus to keep this calf living, Fiona’s tough beginnings turned into a story of hope and great joy!
The video is a compilation of Fiona’s special moments and milestones once she was able to stand on her own two feet. After all the tough times, and the worry and doubt of not knowing whether or not she’d make it out, this is Fiona living life and shining. This footage is so rewarding after everything she and the staff went through to keep her going. The hippo is now happy, healthy, and just celebrated her first birthday, weighing over 600 lbs.
Click below to watch Fiona finally be able to enjoy life without pain or struggle. It’s absolutely heartwarming and so sweet to see her revel in the smallest things life has to offer!
