It looks like the Cincinnati Zoo is preparing to move Fiona the hippo to even deeper waters, where scuba divers will swim with her to keep her safe during her initial swims in the big pool. Trouble is, those scuba suits look scary to a baby hippo, so divers swam with her recently to help her get used to them.
Tanks as always to Lois M.
“Tanks” for the memories, Fifi! 🙂 She is so flippin’ cute! 🙂
Joyous and relaxing. Blorpingly cute.
Isn’t she, though?! She always seems to be smiling.
Marvelous – whenever I see her coasting around underwater, I’m reminded of those Christmas leaping-deer decorations – so graceful!
And then at 3:00 where she starts nomming her caregiver’s flippers and rolling around like a puppy! This is one of their best.
I love that she ran to her keeper for reassurance when she first sees the diver.
And it’s so cute when she tries to grab the diver’s flipper, she’s just like any toddler, anything new she has to put in her mouth.
Fiona is endlessly fascinating to me. I keep wondering if she will remember her care team members if/when she encounters them once she no longer gets daily care–when they visit her in the adult exhibit. Anyone know what a hippo’s long-term memory is?
Just like a puppy, the bitey is cute when young and little.
Imagining the bitey in the future…shivers.
The time will come when the people aren’t safe with that kind of play.
I really enjoy seeing how confident she is in the water! Go Fiona Go!
Sniff, sniff. Our blorpy baby girl is growing up. WAAAAHHHH! And I love how she uses her trainer as a chew toy. As someone else said, nibbling like that is cute when she’s this little but won’t be so nice when she’s an adult. And standing ovation to her trainers/carers that helped get her this far. Hard to believe she was only 29 lbs when born.
Fiona, what a big mouf you have! And, yes the belly roll – and those back feetsies tucked up
as she glides along. I love the look on the diver’s face as she strokes Fiona – what a great job have.
We had a nephew who worked with Rhinos in Africa and once, out in the brush, he came upon an animal he had interacted with on a regular basis as part of a conservation group and he went up to him and it remembered him. I think this wasn’t a great idea, mind you, especially since I think the experience gave him an overblown sense of how well he knew Africa – he was subsequently killed by a pride of lions during a photo safari where he was the “dogs body” or “gopher” in the group. It’s a long story and, as you can imagine a deep sadness within the family. But there’s a very good chance that Fiona will remember her caretakers but I think they would be less than responsible to get in the water with her when she’s full grown!
So sad for his family.
Hoping here that the care team’s work with Fiona now will make her more comfortable opening up and showing her teeth for future dentistry with less risk of her chomping on them….nibbles come so naturally and they need to be discouraged.
Fiona is changing from just blimping about clumsily to a water acrobat like a seal, so expressive as she swims, rolls, bumps, jumps and glides along.
I always get so excited when I see another email message from the Cincinnati Zoo and always hope it’s one about Fiona. Can’t wait to forward it on to you guys. I love the way she tried to ‘attack’ the camera. “You want a close-up?” “Is this close enough for you?” Yes, that close-up will do just fine young lady!! Lois M.
Lots of soft-kronsching (spelling?) going on there. And now I want a baby hippo to sit on my lap!
Fiona is teething on her caretakers!
Threadjack:
Do a search for wombat wall stickers. See what others are offered.