Cincinnati Zoo's famed hippo Fiona will soon become a big sister

Fiona's 23-year-old mother, Bibi, is expected to have a child in late summer, five years after thousands watched Fiona survive and grow from the record-breaking low birth weight of 29 pounds.

"The hippo team is excited and also nervous,” said Eric Byrd, manager of Cincinnati Zoo’s Africa team, in a press release Monday. “As most people know, Bibi’s first baby, Fiona, was born six weeks premature and wouldn’t have survived without the intervention of her human caregivers. We are hoping for a full-term pregnancy and will be doing everything we can to support Bibi.

You guessed it - Fiona is going to be a big sister!! Bibi’s big bundle of joy is expected to arrive late summer 2022! https://t.co/IcUiKPE8qI pic.twitter.com/XnQzd8mEJoFiona was born in early 2017, weighing just 29 pounds, below the normal range of 55 to 120 pounds. The zoo shared Fiona's journey after birth through social media, garnering thousands of followers. Despite her early challenges, Fiona beat the odds and is now a healthy adult who weighs about 1,300 pounds.

Fiona's little sibling will have a different father because Fiona's father Henry died in 2017. Last year, the zoo welcomed an 18-year-old hippo, Tucker. Photos and videos shared by the zoo show how quickly Bibi and Tucker became acquainted.Bibi will be monitored throughout her pregnancy by reproductive physiologists at the Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife.

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