Fans go wild for the big beast of social media
UNITED STATES: Since her premature birth in January, Fiona the hippo has had a heavy presence on social media.
At Cincinnati Zoo, the team behind the 227-kilogram calf have been celebrating her remarkable rise to fame by sending Thanksgiving messages to her army of Twitter followers.
Fiona, who was born weighing 13kg, now has a reality television show and several lines of merchandising.
Her life has inspired an ice cream flavour - Chunky Chunky Hippo - as well five editions of pale ale at a local brewery, several books, and the sale of 30,000 products including T-shirts, fridge magnets, and Christmas jumpers featuring Fiona in a Santa hat.
‘‘This is something that represents happiness, and there’s not much of it right now,’’ children’s author Jan Sherbin told the Cincinnati Enquirer, announcing the publication of Hip, Hippo, Hooray for Fiona.
John Hutton, author of Fiona’s Feelings, another children’s book, said: ‘‘Fiona makes us laugh, she makes us cry, she makes us proud.’’
The zoo has sold an account of her life and times to the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Premature hippos weighing less than 25kg are not expected to survive, and neither was Fiona when she was born six weeks early.
Zoos are typically reluctant to share details about animals not expected to pull through, but the marketing department decided to give daily updates, documenting a series of health crises.
The website Buzzfeed made a list of her bravest moments, and the hippo became a symbol of perseverance. Michelle Curley, communications director at the zoo, had a picture of Fiona tattooed on her back.
Chad Yelton, the zoo’s vice-president of marketing, said he had been inundated with offers for promotional projects.
‘‘People ask us if Fiona can show up at their home and garden show,’’ he told The New York Times.
‘‘I’m surprised Hollywood hasn’t come to us about a film. I feel like an agent with a very famous client. I feel like I represent Beyonce.’’ – The Times