CINCINNATI (WXIX) – There’s some big baby breaking news from the Cincinnati Zoo!
Bibi gave birth to a healthy, full-term hippo around 10pm on Wednesday, giving Fiona a baby sister.
“This calf looks huge to us because Fiona, Bibi’s first baby, weighed just 29 pounds when she was born six weeks premature and couldn’t stand on her own. This new calf weighs at least twice as much as Fiona and is already walking,” said Christina Gorsuch, director of animal care at the Cincinnati Zoo.
“We are still not sure if there was any breastfeeding because the water is cloudy. Bibi is breastfeeding for the first time since Fiona had to be looked after by the hippo staff, so we are keeping a close eye on them to make sure we don’t need to intervene.’
The hippo team noticed a difference in Bibi’s behavior on the morning of August 2, and the zoo shared the news that she was showing signs consistent with labor. She was restless outside and then asked to come inside and stay there.
The team had to step in when Fiona was born six weeks premature and was too small and weak to reach Bibi to nurse. They hoped history wouldn’t repeat itself, and it looks like it hasn’t.
“Bibi and the yet-to-be-christened baby will spend the next two weeks bonding behind the scenes,” Gorsuch said. “A female would take her newborn away from bloat for about that long in the wild, and we’re trying to give Bibi the choice to do what feels natural to her.”
Five-year-old Fiona and 19-year-old Tucker are happy to hang out with each other and stay out of Bibi’s way while she bonds with the new calf.
The guards had separated them from Bibi periodically in recent weeks to get them used to being a duo. They are so comfortable with each other now that 2,000-pound Fiona is seen napping on 4,500-pound Tucker.
Mom and baby won’t be visible to the public right away, but the zoo will share photos and videos if the care team is able to retrieve them without disturbing them.
Tucker and Fiona will be out and about as usual, except for key induction times.
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