Fiona the hippo explores outdoor habitat for first time
CINCINNATI, Ohio (STORYFUL) - Fiona the preemie hippo calf explored her outdoor habitat at the Cincinnati Zoo for the first time Wednesday.
And in true Fiona fashion, she was adorable.
The four-month-old calf had an hour-long pool session with caretakers close by. Zoo staff, some of whom had never met Fiona, got the chance to greet her through the pool’s glass wall.
The zoo hopes getting some time in the habitat will help her get used to humans and the concept of glass.
LINK: Fiona the preemie hippo celebrates 3-month-birthday
“Fiona can only handle short visits outside right now. She’s doing great navigating in the 9-foot-deep pool, but it takes a lot of energy to propel herself from the bottom to the surface (to breathe) over and over again,” said curator of mammals, Christina Gorsuch.
The zoo says Fiona will spend more time outdoors after hours until she is ready to go out during visiting hours.
Fiona weighed 29 pounds, about 25 pounds lighter than the typical birth weight of her species, when she was born prematurely on January 24.