Baby hippo’s debut is big news
A POPULAR baby hippo at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in the United States has made her news media debut.
Fiona made her debut yesterday with cameras rolling as she navigated the 3m-deep Hippo Cove pool.
The zoo emphasised she wasn’t ready for public display but the media-only event was a step towards that.
Fiona was born on January 24, weighing 13kg. She overcame health scares and now weighs more than 45kg.
Video updates such as Fiona taking a bottle, splashing in a pool or learning to run have drawn tens of millions of online views. Thousands of people have bought TeamFiona T-shirts and have eaten Fiona-themed bakery treats.
A brewery plans to introduce a beer dedicated to her.
Meanwhile, no public events are planned at the zoo marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting of an endangered gorilla.
The zoo’s dangerous animal response team concluded the life of a three-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla enclosure last May was in danger and killed 17-year-old Harambe, sparking global mourning, criticism and satires.