Happy Hippo Day, Fiona
For the latest updates on Fiona, click or tap here.
Update, Tuesday, Feb. 15: Today is National Hippo Day! So it seems like a good time to check in on Fiona, the Cincinnati Zoo baby hippo that's become a bit of a social media star here in town.
The past couple of days have been a little tough. Fiona hasn't been taking the bottle well, which keepers think might be because of teething discomfort. That means that unlike last week, she's not gaining weight. Her caregivers are working to relieve her gum pain through the use of a topical numbing solution and frozen cloths.
Although she still has more progress to make, Fiona has come a long way in her three weeks on Earth. She now weighs in at 41.2 pounds, and she has graduated to a larger pool for strength-building exercise.
Compare that to where she started. On Jan. 24, she was born six weeks early and weighed only 29 pounds. That's really small: Recorded birth weights for her species range from 55-120 pounds.
She was too small and weak to nurse from her mother, Bibi. Instead, round-the-clock care from her keepers has helped her get to her first Hippo Day. Here's to many happy hippo days ahead, Fiona.
Update, 2:20 p.m., Friday, Feb. 10: Cincinnati Zoo officials said Friday that Fiona, the premature baby hippo, continues to make progress with her coordination in water.
So much so, in fact, that she graduated to a larger pool, which zoo officials called the "big kid" pool in social media posts made Friday afternoon.
To donate to Fiona's care fund, visit http://cincinnatizoo.org/blog/2017/01/25/premature-hippo-baby-updates.
Update, 2:11 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9: Here's an update on that last update. Looks like y'all can't get enough baby hippo cuteness: Based on fan feedback, the Cincinnati Zoo said it will keep posting daily Fiona updates after all.
"You spoke and we listened. Don't worry we will continue to give you a daily Fiona fix," zoo staff wrote on its Facebook page.
The previous Facebook post, in which zoo staff said they'd no longer be offering daily updates on the premature baby, had more than 1,100 comments after just two hours.
Update, 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9: Good news: Fiona, the Cincinnati Zoo's premature baby hippo, is still improving. She now weighs in at 40 pounds.
The bad news? The zoo won't be offering daily updates going forward, so you'll have to get your cuteness fix elsewhere.
For occasional updates, or to donate to Fiona's care fund, visit http://cincinnatizoo.org/blog/2017/01/25/premature-hippo-baby-updates.
Update, 1:40 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7: Fiona gained 1.7 more pounds as of this morning's weigh-in. Pool exercise is helping the Cincinnati Zoo's premature baby hippo build strength and learn how do drive, float and breathe in the water. Check out today's new video above.
Update, 3:11 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6: More good news about everyone's favorite baby hippo: Fiona drank more from her bottle Monday afternoon than she ever has in the past. And it's starting to show on the Cincinnati Zoo's little one, she's weighing in at nearly 37 pounds, up from 29 at her birth. And she can now suckle both in and out of the water, an important skill for her to master.
Update, 1:26 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5: A milestone for any child, Fiona, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's premature hippo, took her first steps overnight, zoo officials announced.
Fiona, as she was named Tuesday by zoo staff, was active Saturday night into Sunday morning and took her first jaunt. Fiona has been receiving care from zoo vets since she was born to parents Bibi and Henry six weeks early.
Though Fiona continues to reach milestones, she is still fed via tube by staff and subject to continuous wellness checks. Zoo officials in a Sunday afternoon blog post asked the public to "keep the positive vibes coming."
Update 11:45 a.m. Tuesday: The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's week-old baby hippo has a name, and that name is... Fiona. Staff picked the name for the calf, which was born six weeks premature, because it means "fair."
“Even though Fiona’s not out of the woods yet, every baby needs a name and her animal care team thought the name was a perfect fit for their 'fair' little girl,” Christina Gorsuch, curator of mammals at the Cincinnati Zoo, said in a news release. “They have been with her 24 hours a day and think this name suits her personality.”
Gorsuch said Fiona still has "a long way to go" before she can be reunited with her mom, Bibi. She has to be able to nurse on her own, walk and get considerably bigger.
Her condition hasn't changed much since Monday. She's still using an IV and getting continuous care from zoo staff.
Update 12:15 p.m. Monday: Staff members at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden are still working around the clock to nurse the zoo's premature baby hippo to health.
The news from Monday morning's wellness check was not as good as past checks: Vets found that her glucose levels were low and her pH levels were off. That called for the insertion of an IV to relay fluids, dextrose and supplements.
The baby hippo also did not register any new weight gain since Sunday, though she has otherwise been gaining weight since her birth on Jan. 24.
"It is not uncommon for premature babies to experience difficulty with digestion and regulating their metabolism," staff said in a post on the zoo's Facebook page.
Zoo staff will adjust her formula and supplements to help her digestion, the post said.
Update, 12 p.m. Sunday: After a good night's sleep, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's baby hippo took a dip in the pool with the assistance of some flotation noodles, zoo officials said in their latest news release.
The team caring for the baby, who was born six weeks early, said she has been able to stand in the pool and support her own weight, but the noodles were used to assist her balance.
In Sunday's update, officials said the calf continues to struggle with bottle feeding, but has started to suckle.
Update: 11:15 a.m. Saturday: She's still 20 pounds away from a normal birth weight, but the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's premature baby hippo is continuing to impress zoo staffers with her progress.
Her latest milestone? Trying to stand, zoo officials said in a news release. The support she has been receiving from zoo staff has included strength building, which plays a large role in her progress toward standing.
Staffers are providing the calf with plenty of activities that stimulate muscles and build strength. Those activities include spending time in the pool, which she was introduced to on Thursday.
This, along with plenty of rest and nourishment, has allowed the calf to be able to support her weight for a few seconds at a time.
Update, 11:30 a.m. Friday: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's premature baby hippo is still gaining strength.
Lucky for her, even though she can't nurse yet, she's still getting nutrients from her mother's milk. Bibi learned how to lean in and stay still for the weekly ultrasounds zoo staff gave her throughout her pregnancy. That conditioning means she's comfortable walking into a chute and letting staffers collect her milk for her calf. (The baby also gets formula to supplement her diet.)
And Bibi's milk has another use. Some of it will be analyzed and added to the Smithsonian’s Milk Repository, giving insight as to how the nutrient content in hippos' milk changes over time.
“Since we are able to get daily samples of Bibi’s milk, we have a rare opportunity to learn more about specific changes in this species,” zoo nutritionist Barbara Henry said in a news release.
Update, 12 p.m. Thursday: The two-day old premature hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is "gaining some strength," zoo officials said.
She is still under 24-hour care, getting tube feedings and vet checks, with staffers present to keep her warm and moist.
Thursday morning, that came in the form of her first staff-assisted pool time. Though hippos are often born in the water, they can't actually swim. (Adults do spend a lot of time in the water, but they aren't swimming, either. Instead, they run along riverbeds and then push themselves up for air.)
Being in the pool will also help the baby build muscles and balance, as well as to maintain her optimal body temperature of 96 to 98 degrees.
Update, 4 p.m. Wednesday: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden officials said the baby hippo born prematurely Tuesday morning remained stable overnight and is receiving "around-the-clock" care from zoo staff.
"Her mom, Bibi, is doing fine and, because of her experience standing still for ultrasounds, is allowing milk to be collected," zoo officials said in a news release.
Veterinarians have been adding Bibi's milk to a fluid mixture that is being tube-fed to the baby.
Previous reporting: For Bibi and Henry, it was love at first sight when they moved into a new home and began their future together last summer. For their baby, the first Nile hippo born at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in 75 years, the future is uncertain.
Seventeen-year-old hippo Bibi gave birth to the female calf Tuesday morning, six weeks earlier than expected. Because she is unable to stand and nurse from her mother, she is under round-the-clock critical care by zoo staff.
“We are giving her fluids and keeping her moist and warm,” Christina Gorsuch, curator of mammals at the Cincinnati Zoo, said in a news release. “Her little system is underdeveloped, and getting her to a healthy weight will be a challenge. Vets and animal staff are doing everything they can to get her through this critical time.”
The calf is extremely small: She weighs only 29 pounds, much lower than the range of recorded birth weights for her species, which is 55-120 pounds.
"Her heart and lungs sound good and she is pretty responsive to stimuli, but we aren’t sure how developed her muscles and brain are." Gorsuch said.
Zoo scientists had captured an image of the baby in utero via the first ultrasound ever done on a Nile hippo earlier this month.
On Monday, after Bibi showed signs of labor, zoo staff did another ultrasound to confirm that the baby was coming. They also collected milk from Bibi, which they hope they can get the baby to drink. They'll continue that process until the calf can stand on her own and be reunited with her mother.
The zoo will post updates about the baby's condition on its Facebook page.