CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati zoo is celebrating the birth of a full-term hippopotamus that is a sibling to Fiona, who became a global celebrity when she was born prematurely in 2017.
The baby hippo was born Wednesday night.
"This new calf weighs at least twice as much as Fiona did and is already walking," said Christina Gorsuch, Cincinnati Zoo's director of animal care in a news release.
This strong little hippo calf is doing well and staying close to Mom. You couldn’t ask for a more appropriate birthdate for a hippo – he/she was born on World Watermelon Day! 🦛🍉🍉 pic.twitter.com/osMdHMcAgp
— Cincinnati Zoo (@CincinnatiZoo) August 4, 2022
Staff at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden discovered the calf's mother, 23-year-old Bibi, was pregnant around April Fool's Day. It came as a surprise because Bibi was on birth control.
"Bibi and the baby, yet to be named, will spend the next two weeks bonding behind the scenes," said Gorsuch. "A female would take her newborn away from the bloat for about that amount of time in the wild, and we try to give Bibi the choice to do what feels natural to her."
People are also reading…
In this photo provided by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Bibi, a 23-year-old hippopotamus, stands by her new baby, born Wednesday.
Bibi's first baby, Fiona, only weighed 29 pounds (13 kilograms) when she was born six weeks premature and wasn't able to stand on her own. Fiona now weighs 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms), the zoo said.
The zoo saw an increase in visitors and social media views after Fiona's birth. Some animal rights groups criticized it for marketing a captive animal.
Photos: Fiona the hippo celebrates 5th birthday
Fiona, a Nile hippopotamus, plays in her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Nov. 2, 2017, in Cincinnati. She was born six weeks prematurely at 29 pounds, well below the common 50- to 100-pound range, and required nonstop critical care by zookeepers to ensure her survival. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Fiona, a Nile hippopotamus, eats her specialty birthday cake to celebrate turning three years old at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in January 2020. The Cincinnati Zoo used her third birthday as a way to raise money for Australian wildlife affected by bushfires. Instead of sending birthday gifts, the zoo asked people to buy T-shirts to directly benefit the Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Fiona, a Nile hippopotamus, swims after eating her specialty birthday cake to celebrate turning three years old in her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in January 2020. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Fiona, a baby Nile hippopotamus, walks through her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Jan. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
This still image taken from video provided by WLWT News 5 Cincinnati shows Fiona the hippopotamus at the Cincinnati Zoo on Jan. 30, 2020. Zoo keepers placed two “enrichment” toys in front of her, marked with the logos of the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. While the plan called for Fiona to nudge one of the items with her snout to indicate her Super Bowl pick, she instead threw up her choice on the Chiefs' item, WLWT-TV reported. (WLWT News 5 Cincinnati via AP)
Fiona the hippo swims through her enclosure as visitors look on at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Jan. 10, 2018, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
In this June 26, 2018, photo, Fiona swims above her mother Bibi in their enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. The Cincinnati Zoo's globally famous premature hippo does more than help sell T-shirts, bobbleheads and ice cream. She is becoming a teaching tool in classrooms and libraries and subject of a series of books. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
In this June 26, 2018, photo, Fiona the hippo sleeps in her enclosure beside a copy of the book "Saving Fiona" at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
In this June 26, 2018, photo, Fiona, a baby Nile hippopotamus, sleeps as visitors stop by her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
In this June 26, 2018, photo, Fiona the hippo sleeps as visitors stop by her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
In this June 26, 2018, photo, Fiona, a baby Nile hippopotamus, swims in her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Fiona, a Nile hippopotamus, eats her specialty birthday cake to celebrate turning three years old in her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in January 2020. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Fiona, a Nile hippopotamus, plays near visitors after eating her specialty birthday cake to celebrate turning three years old at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in January 2020. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Fiona, a Nile hippopotamus, left, shares her specialty birthday cake with her mother Bibi, right, to celebrate turning three years old at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in January 2020. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Fiona, a Nile hippopotamus, center, plays with her mother Bibi, right, in their enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Nov. 2, 2017. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Fiona, a baby Nile hippopotamus, right, and her mother Bibi swim in their enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Jan. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Fiona, a baby Nile hippopotamus, has her gums rubbed by a zookeeper in her enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Jan. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
