Fiona The Baby Hippo Is Back With Her Family And People Can't Handle It

 

1. What Is It About Baby Animals?

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Whether it’s a kitty or a puppy, a calf or a cub, baby animals are always cute. Even if animals aren’t your thing, it’s hard not to "oooh" at these tiny little creatures. And the latest baby animal story is here to give you all the feels.

2. A Hippo Reunion

The latest baby animal story sees the reunion of a family. On July 11th, Fiona the baby hippo was reunited with her parents. It was a special moment for everyone watching.

3. Born Prematurely

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Fiona has already captured our hearts and drove us to a pile of mush. This baby animal was born prematurely on January 2017. Ever since then, fans all over the world have enjoyed watching Fiona grow stronger and reach milestones.

4. Watching Fiona Grow Up

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Whatever Fiona does, people love. This baby hippo has been watched by thousands as she took her first steps. She was watched being massaged when her teeth started coming in and everyone loved her when she freaked out over bubbles.

5. Separated From Her Family

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Fiona couldn’t be fed by her mother because of her premature birth left her too small. Accordingly, she was separated from her mother and father. The Cincinnati Zoo explained that the staff needed to give Fiona more attention to develop before she could be reunited with her family.

6. Come A Long Way

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In an Instagram post, the staff explained: “Fiona has come a long way since she was born weighing only 29 pounds. Her care team, including animal staff, vets, and the Zoo’s nutritionist, have monitored her diet composition and volume carefully for the past four months and she is now up to a healthy 265 pounds! It’s not all about putting on weight, Fiona has to exercise to make sure she builds the strength she needs to propel herself to the surface of deep pools and can support her growing body."

7. Reunited

This was until the 11th of July. On this day, Fiona was roaming outside, exploring her surroundings. It was here that she was reunited with her parents Bibi and Henry.

8. Meeting Henry For The First Time

The zoo explains that Fiona and Bibi had met before and they had been getting to know one another. But Henry had been distant. That is, until the unexpected reunion.

9. Fiona And Bibi Have Hung Out Already

In one post, the staff explains: “Fiona and Bibi are getting very comfortable with each other in the outdoor pool. They are swimming outside together for about an hour a day but on no set schedule yet.” That Fiona is all about impressing her mother!

10. Bifi And Henry

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The Cincinnati Zoo celebrated the reunion by sharing the news on social media. They wrote, “Bifi was joined by Henry this morning for the first time.” Bifi is “the power duo name that’s being used for Bibi and Fiona.”

11. Bibi Protected Fiona

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“The three were introduced in Hippo Cove’s outdoor pool before the zoo opened, supervised by their care team. The short introduction went well. Bibi intervened when Henry got too close to Fiona, which was exactly what we were hoping to see.”

12. The Sweetest Thing

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The zoo explained that these meetings will continue until the baby Hippo is fully adjusted to the outdoors. The staff then shared a video of the reunion. It’s the sweetest thing you’ll see today!

13. The Much-Expected Reunion

The staff added a caption to the video. They wrote: “The reunion we've been waiting for finally happened this morning when BiFi (power duo name for Fiona and her mom, Bibi) was joined by Fiona’s dad Henry. The introduction lasted about an hour, and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it went,” said Christina G., curator of mammals at the Cincinnati Zoo.”

14. Bibi Being All Protective

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“Fiona has been exploring the outdoor habitat with her mom for several weeks and has had contact with Henry inside, but today was the first time that the three hippos have been together. Bibi was protective of Fiona and gave Henry cues about how to interact appropriately with the little one.”

15. You See, Family Reunions Are Not Always Dysfunctional

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It’s always wonderful to see a family reuniting. It’s even better when it involves animals. Fiona was a fragile little thing when she was born but we’re glad to see this hippo is growing stronger and that she is finally able to spend time with her parents.