CINCINNATI, OH (WCMH) – Fiona, the baby hippo born prematurely at the Cincinnati Zoo continues to do improve, according to the zoo.
Fiona was born Jan. 24 at the zoo. She weighed just 29 pounds, but has gained around 8 pounds in 12 days, WLWT reported.
“Fiona had another good night and drank more from her bottle this afternoon than she has to date. She is now able to suckle both in and out of the water and is gaining weight,” zoo officials said Monday.
Caretakers took video of her taking her first steps over the weekend. The caretakers said she was very active overnight and is even eating a decent amount of formula on her own.
Fiona was born six weeks early and has been under close supervision since she came into the world. Zoo workers have had to use a feeding tube to help her eat, because of a weak suckling response. Caretakers also had to cuddle Fiona in order to help her regulate her breathing.