Fiona the hippo was born prematurely in January. At first, she needed round-the-clock care.
Since then, she’s gained hundreds of pounds, reunited with her parents and garnered a massive following that’s tracked her progress on the Cincinatti Zoo & Botanical Garden’s social media pages and blog about her.
In a recent Facebook post that drew more than 57,000 comments and 12,000 shares, the zoo asked its followers to comment with their locations, showing off Fiona’s global fan base.
From sporting a milk mustache to chomping on her first solid foods, Fiona’s activities have been documented and shared in photos and videos. In June, the public could view her in person as she started exploring the outside pool during zoo hours.
On July 7, the zoo said she caught up to the progress of a baby hippo born at full term, a major milestone for the mammal. She weighed 356 pounds, the zoo said. She was 2 feet tall at her shoulder and 55 inches long.
The zoo said it will take Fiona about three years to become fully grown at a whopping 3,000 pounds.
Another big moment came on July 11, when Fiona swam with her parents, Henry and Bibi, before the zoo opened for the day.
Here are some updates from Fiona’s first several months of life:
