Fiona is spending nearly 24 hours a day with mom Bibi now! Overnight she and Bibi are together but separated from Henry, though they still have howdy access to each other so they can all get nose-to-nose. Separating overnight ensures that the adult hippos have plenty of time to eat their diet items without getting into fights or someone (Bibi) hogging everything and gaining a bunch of weight.
At this time, care staff is still interacting with Fiona regularly since she is still taking bottles 3 times a day. During those times, we ask her to shift into a separate holding space from the adults and offer her bottles from the other side of the safety bollards (so we aren’t sharing space with her). When she’s finished with the bottles, we spend a little time trying to convince her to eat her fruits (banana and apple) and veggies (lettuce and hay) and her grain. These solid foods will be her “grown up” diet when she is older and off the bottles, hopefully in the next couple of months or so).
She still seems to enjoy interacting with us but has definitely learned that she is a hippo and prefers to spend her time with Bibi and Henry. At this point, we rarely share space with her anymore as there is not often a need and both Fiona and our care team need to understand that at this point in our relationship, it’s just better for everyone if there are safety barriers in place between us. At 400+lbs, it’s very easy for Fiona to inflict injury, even accidentally, so we don’t want to put our team or Fiona in a position where someone could get hurt unnecessarily.
One other interaction we are trying to maintain with Fiona that should be beneficial as she gets older is to make sure she remains comfortable with touch (especially in her mouth!) so we are still giving her mouth massages and asking her to open up wide so we can see her dental development.
During these crazy times, Fiona has been an absolute joy! I tune into this blog every day and share it with my husband and on Facebook. I have always adored hippos…their blubber and rolls and creases. Fiona is beyond adorable. You all have done a fabulous job with her. It gives me great pleasure to know that Fiona will outlive me, so I can follow her for the rest of my life. #TeamFiona!!
HI!!! I FELL N LOVE W/FIONA SEVERAL MONTHS AGO & FELL IN LOVE!!!!! I TOLD MY 82 COOL MOM ABOUT FIONA, BIBI & HENRY!! MY DAD’S NAME IS HENRY. RIP DADDY… MOM & I FELL N LOVE!!! WE OOOOHHHH & AAAAAAHHHH OVER THESE GUYS!!!!
I LAUGHED @ MY 1st POST… I DO BELIEVE I NEED SLEEP…. CHEMO PATIENT… YAWN & I PUT A BAG OVER MY HEAD….
I can’t imagine how hard it must be to “back out” of the picture but it has been obvious from the beginning how much all of Fiona’s carers love that precious baby. This next step is like watching your kid head off to college – you’ve done the best you could to raise a responsible adult – now they need to make it on their own. Well done, care-team!
Well Stated
Fiona is like no other hippo in the country, and what a treat to be virtually by her side almost daily. I have been a hippo aficionado for over fifty years, but this experience has been so personal for me. On my bucket list, someday, is to get to Cincinnati and “say hello” to Fiona and her parents in person. (I’m in Colorado, so it may be a few years..but it is on my bucket list!).
Team Fiona, your dedication to Fiona and her care has been phenomenal! You’re hearts are truly bonded with her and will be forever! It must be hard to let go of that sweet bundle you nurtured for so many months! But what a job well done in helping her grow into the Hippo she needs to be! Fiona holds a special place in all of our hearts and we will continue to follow her journey! A sincere thank you to all! ❤❤
Team Fiona, your love and dedication to Fiona’s care has been phenomenal! Your hearts are truly bonded with her and will be forever! It must be hard to let go of that little bundle you nurtured for so many months! But job well done on helping her grow into the Hippo she needs to be! Fiona holds a special place in all of our hearts and we will continue to follow her journey! A sincere thank you to all! ❤❤
My greatest joy this past 6 months has been watching the development of Fiona and her entire zoo family. From the caregivers, Bibi and Henry. I literally have read your blogs and FB pictures everyday. I was fortunate to drive to the Cincinnati Zoo on June 26th and we got to see her parents most of the day and it was a super treat at around 4 pm when she came out to the pond. I was in tears watching her. God bless everyone who has been instrumentally and her in her caregiving and development. You did a fantastic loving job. I know the steps you are taking now to wean her from her care team is the best thing for her and her parents but it is a little sad. I have come to think of her as our pet! She is priceless. I will watch everyday as she progresses on her journey. She makes me happy! Something wonderful to read about, see and share. I plan on many more trips to see my favorite hippo and zoo family! Thank you for the smiles everyone and especially my little Fiona!❤️
Cudos to each and every member of Team Fiona. What a wonderful thing you have done and what a blessing it has been to share it with you through your posts and pictures. Thank you for your dedication. Question; how was her game decided on?
How heartbreaking to fight to keep her alive and interact to have to hold back to let her be a hippo….it breaks my heart for you but all of you were so blessed to share this experience and allow us to follow.
I saw her last weekend out with Bibi and Henry. They looked like they were quite the happy bloat [a new tern for me] She was very entertaining with her parents. Chewing on one of them and then high tailing it to the other side of the pool. She definitely likes being chased. So much personality for a wee hippo.
Thank you for taking such good care of her and sharing with us her struggles and now her success. You have made hippos a topic of conversation from the playground to the workplace. Thank you for opening our eyes to the wonder of baby hippos and all of the zoo babies.
Wow, I knew this was coming. I bet it is so hard for all of you to say goodbye to all of the days and nights that you were able to physically be able to tell touch and play with her. You guys have done such a great job with Fiona and we in return have loved all of the videos and pics of her growing up!! It is very bittersweet!! Hopefully, I will be coming down to see the whole family in a few weeks!!! I only live 45 min away!!! Thanks again for all the updates!!!
Change happens. Thank you all for doing your very best to nurture Fiona from a fragile premi to a confidant healthy sassy young hippo who is has won the hearts of many and is taking her place in the Cincinnati Zoo hippo bloat with Bibi & Henry. Bittersweet and marvelous at the same time. Who knew at the beginning of her sweet life the impact you keepers and your little hippo would have on children & adults around the world! We are all better because of Team Fiona❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Is Fiona’s time to explorer her world and her family. The zoo team did a great job, however Fiona needs her family now.
We are planning to go see her and her parents soon. We love you Fiona and We are happy that you are developing strong and being loved by so many people and your parents.
You folks have done wonderful work and should be very proud that you have helped this wonderful animal onto the road of a normal life.
I am looking forward to coming to your zoo and seeing this bloat in person in the near future.
My heart feels weepy reading this post but I know this has been the goal from the beginning of Fiona’s life. I’m so grateful that this sweet little hippo’s life was saved as easily it might not have ended this way. So, from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU For all you as her caregivers have done for Fiona. And what a blessing to know Bibi loves her baby. I will wear my two Fiona shirts proudly!
My precious Fiona! She belongs to us all!!! Cincinnati Zoo you guys have done such a fabulous job with her & now that it’s time to let her go, another fabulous job helping her to fit into her bloat!!!! Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to this lil hippo lady!!!!
The Cincinnati Zoo ROCKS! Great work on that little baby!
The recent photos and videos seem to convey a new level of contentment in Fiona since her integration into the hippo bloat. Or is this wishful thinking on my part?
I live just two blocks from #HeBiFi and the Zoo. So proud to have you as my neighbors! Thanks for all you have done to make Fiona the happy, healthy hippo she is.
I love to see and read about Fiona, Bibi and Henry. Thanks so much for taking such good care of Fiona! It brings so much joy and hope to my life.
Fiona has brought many of us great joy in a world of chaos Fiona has been a story of hope and love…plus she is a cute little character♥
After reading all the comments, there is nothing left to say that already has been said. I look forward everyday to see if there is a new post about the hippo family. Thank you for letting us in on the story of Fiona.
Thank you Fiona and care team for bringing such joy to so many of us. With everything in turmoil in the world, it is nice to be able to call the blog and share a few minutes of success and happiness.
I have been so thankful that you have kept us up to date at every turn so we who also love Fiona can see how she is doing. You have done an amazing job. And while I know the goal was to raise her to “be a hippo” I can only imagine how your heart hurts to let her go more and more. But thankfully you can watch her being happy with her parents.
I can only repeat what everyone else says. Watching Fiona survive, and now thrive, has been a bright spot in every day. Thank you for all the work you’ve done, and have yet to do with other zoo babies. We’ve all learned a tremendous amount. You folks are the best!
As the team of caregivers have written and talked about the days when Fiona would (hopefully) move in with the folks, I imagined how bittersweet that must be. Saying good-bye, in a sense, to your lovable kid so she can be in the world she belongs even if it is just a few feet over there with 6500 lbs. of mum and dad hippo, must be both gratifying and heart tugging all at once! You have given me such joy every day I check this. I will continue to keep the team, Bifi and Henry in my prayers.
I also find it hilarious that Fibi is the big eater of the group — I can see her sneaking bites right under Henry’s nose.
The first time I saw Fiona in the water with Bibi, I knew she thought being a hippo Just Like Her New Best Friend, Bibi, was the greatest thing in the world. That has helped so much while watching her transition from the care team to the hippo bloat. You have helped Fiona find her identity in her world, and that is just as amazing as saving her life was in the very beginning. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for Fiona and her parents – even if they don’t realize their full genetic relationship to each other.
It has been fun and educational to watch and read about Fiona and her progression through her life; the relief I have felt at every advancement she has made with your help. I did not know how much I could bond with a wonderful “little” (?) creature that I had never met and now I have an attachment to her and I talk to my husband and friends about her. I love all animals and hope we can protect them all but there is something special about Fiona. So now she is 400 lbs. (wow) and happy and healthy and with Bibi full-time and Henry part-time (again, wow) and her progression hugs my heart. Thank you for letting her become part of my life.
I saw that Henry is under the weather. Is there any indication what may be the problem?
Thanks for a deep education about the complex and semi-aquatic life of hippos! Amazingly strong vegetarians with voices that reach out to land & sea; bone density that allows them to gallop in water and porpoise to breathe. I just read that hippos in the wild have one calf every 2 years. Each is precious to the species and well attended to maturity. Speaking of hippo families, I am worried about Henry since you have said almost nothing about his illness. Can you tell us if he has a grave illness? Do you think that at the age of 36 (?), being with the little one depleted his systems? Or is he down/lonely because Bibi pushed him back a bit as Fiona’s mom? I would appreciate knowing more even if not great news. You folks are awesome and appreciated!!
We need to get Henry the hippo to love Fiona, that way she is excepted to him.
Hello, from Brooklyn’s East New York! The students in my elementary science classes have fallen in love with Fiona and are tracking her miraculous progress from newborn to healthy youngster. Many have been inspired by watching the staff – who knows, we may have future animal specialists!
We do have a question: Why does Fiona, Bibi, and Henry open their mouths for each other? Is touching a social interaction?
Thank you so much for all you do!
Email: [email protected] (yahoo). com, He is the truth…. He can…turn your heartbreak to joy…. contact him if you want your Ex-lover back.