The Fiona Show

Now at 475 pounds and living happily with her mom and dad, Fiona the preemie hippo lived one of the greatest success stories in zoology. But her premature birth and shaky start in life kept her keepers on edge, learning on the fly the knowledge they would need to keep her alive and growing. In the first episode of The Fiona Show, Team Fiona looks back on those uncertain days, and we see actual footage of Fiona’s birth.




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15 thoughts on “The Fiona Show

  1. dubravkamcvmd September 5, 2017 / 2:13 pm

    Fascinating.

  2. Murray C September 5, 2017 / 4:00 pm

    I just sat through the fastest 8+ minutes with a silly grin on my face. Love that hippo.

    • Ricky's Mom September 5, 2017 / 9:34 pm

      Ditto, ditto, and ditto!

  3. Smartypants September 5, 2017 / 4:07 pm

    Our precious little avocado! That birth video – how on earth did she ever make it? Amazing job by her caregivers at the Cincy Zoo.

    • Murray C September 5, 2017 / 4:12 pm

      I was so nervous that Bibi was going to sit on her! But she got to her feet with such delicacy, obviously aware that something important was near.

  4. Gigi the cat lady September 5, 2017 / 4:36 pm

    How fortunate that Bibi would let herself be milked so Fiona could get the antibodies that newborn so desperately need to survive. She was a good mother even if she had to do it through other people.

    • Blue Footed Booby September 5, 2017 / 7:36 pm

      Now I’m imagining the process for milking various animals: elephants, zebras…honey badgers.

      How large or ornery does an animal have to be before you resort to formula?

  5. Smartypants September 5, 2017 / 8:26 pm

    I love Henry’s big ol’ whiskery face – he’s like Fred Flintstone! Good job, Henry. He’s done an amazing job adjusting to fatherhood.

  6. JenDeyan September 5, 2017 / 9:44 pm

    I feel emotional watching this. It’s been such a journey just watching Fiona grow. I can’t imagine how emotional it must be for the people who have cared for her all this time. Their dedication and caring saw Fiona through her risky birth and first months and now Fiona brings so much happiness to the world. It’s almost magical.

  7. debg September 5, 2017 / 10:27 pm

    That was simply glorious. The team’s love for their little preemie avocado shone through like a star. Go, Fiona, go!

    And milking a hippo! I’m going to giggle all evening.

    • Murray C September 5, 2017 / 10:54 pm

      That needs to be added to the pantheon of phrases that I’m sure Mike has been collecting (nudge, nudge?) like – oh, rats I have such a bad memory -(something) a sprinkler. These could be added to the calendar, Mike! It would be truly your own.

      I remembered! “Incubating a sprinkler”!!!

      • Blue Footed Booby September 6, 2017 / 8:45 am

        Masticating

  8. Kar September 5, 2017 / 10:55 pm

    Wow, milking a hippo.

    Bet you don’t see THAT on a resume often.

  9. Michael September 6, 2017 / 4:31 am

    Excellent, informative interviews. I started watching this wondering if it would be a rehash of material we’d already seen, but as far as I can tell the interview material is new. (I don’t remember knowing about the ultrasound, or that they milked the mother, for instance.) I hope you keep these coming as they are released, NTMTOM.

  10. Claire September 6, 2017 / 11:29 am

    Episode 2 is out now, and oh boy, is it a tearjerker!

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