Since we’re celebrating birthdays, reader Lois M. informs us that hippo Fiona is four months old today. To celebrate, the Cincinnati Zoo released this highlight video so we can relive the cutest moments of her amazing journey from a preemie in peril to round, robust and nearly ready to rejoin her mom and dad.
Baby hippo Fiona has reached the 250-pound mark, still a fraction of the 3,200 pounds her mother Bibi weighs, according to the Cincinnati Zoo. Of course, scarfing all of that formula and hay is easy when you’ve got a mouth like this:
And that mouth needs constant exercise if Fiona is to grow up strong, so her care team plays games to keep her chomping and moving:
Fiona’s care team tries to keep her active to help her build muscle that she will need to propel herself to the surface of a 9ft deep pool! pic.twitter.com/78ATMt9RZi
— Cincinnati Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) May 20, 2017
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.
Get ready to open wide and say “d’aww” as Fiona the preemie hippo gets a dental checkup. Although the tusks of a hippo tend to get the most attention, young hippos have thirty two milk teeth, and an adult commonly has thirty six teeth. (Thanks as always to Lois M.)