CINCINNATI (WCMH) — The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden says a big milestone has been reached–Fiona the hippo and her mom Bibi are now spending their time together in the same stall.
Fiona and Bibi share supervised interactions as they slowly get used to one another. Since Fiona was born prematurely, she was hand-raised and has not had much contact with either of her parents.
The zoo also shared a video of Bibi and Fiona having an open-mouthed interaction. The zoo says hippos also use their mouths “to act tough, play, show affection, and explore the world around them.”
The calf is up to 291 pounds as of Thursday, June 8. She has no set schedule for her appearances at the zoo yet, but has been venturing into the outside pool during zoo hours under close supervision.
Fiona was born Jan. 24, weighing 29 pounds.
Video updates such as Fiona taking a bottle, splashing in a pool or learning to run have drawn tens of millions of online views. Thousands of people have bought TeamFiona T-shirts and have eaten Fiona-themed bakery treats.
A brewery plans to introduce a beer dedicated to her.