The Cincinnati Zoo has introduced the beginning of a brand new child hippo, making its well-known resident hippo Fiona a giant sister.
The zoo shared the information of the most recent addition to the hippo household in a press launch on Thursday, the place it revealed Fiona’s mom Bibi had given beginning to a full-term calf on Wednesday evening.
According to the zoo, employees members discovered that 23-year-old Bibi was pregnant in April of this 12 months. The “hippo team” observed a behaviour change that indicated she could also be in labour on 2 August.
The zoo additionally shared the information of the beginning on social media, the place it posted a video of Bibi’s new child calf showing to take its first steps.
“Our bloat got a little bigger last night!” the zoo wrote on Twitter. “Bibi gave birth around 10pm and all seems to be going well for mom and baby so far.”
The beginning of Bibi’s new child calf comes just a few years after she gave beginning six weeks prematurely to her first child, Fiona, in 2017. When Fiona was born, she was simply 29 kilos, and never capable of stand on her personal, based on Christina Gorsuch, Cincinnati Zoo’s director of animal care.
Gorsuch famous within the press launch that the brand new calf “weighs at least twice as much as Fiona did and is already walking”.
Following the arrival of the infant calf, Gorsuch mentioned Bibi and the infant, who has not but been named, will spend two weeks “bonding behind the scenes”.
“A female would take her newborn away from the bloat for about that amount of time in the wild, and we try to give Bibi the choice to do what feels natural to her,” she defined.
The beginning additionally marks the primary time that Bibi shall be nursing, as Gorsuch famous that Fiona had been cared for by zoo employees when she was born prematurely.
“We’re not sure if nursing has occurred yet because the water is murky. It’s Bibi’s first time nursing, since Fiona had to be cared for by the hippo staff, so we’re keeping a close eye on them to make sure we don’t need to step in,” she mentioned.
Cincinnati Zoo broadcasts beginning of new child hippo, making Fiona a giant sister
(Cincinnati Zoo)
While Bibi is bonding together with her calf, Fiona shall be spending most of her time with one other resident hippo, 19-year-old Tucker, who can also be the daddy of the brand new child hippo.
“Keepers have been separating them from Bibi periodically over the past weeks to get them used to being a duo,” the zoo defined within the press launch. “They’re so comfortable with each other now that 2,000-pound Fiona has been seen napping on 4,500-pound Tucker.”
The Cincinnati Zoo additionally famous that Bibi and her calf won’t be seen to the general public “right away,” however that the zoo can be sharing photographs and movies of the mom and child so long as they can seize them with out disturbing the duo.
The press launch additionally reminded zoo members that they’ve entry to reside cameras within the out of doors habitat, the place they’ll watch “the action in Hippo Cove” from 8.30am to five.30pm each day.
On social media, the information of the calf’s beginning has been met with pleasure, with many pleased to be taught that Fiona had change into a giant sister.
“Congrats Bibi and welcome to the world little one!” one individual wrote, whereas one other mentioned: “Fiona is officially a sister I am unwell.”
“The day I’ve been waiting for. Fiona’s baby sibling is finally here!” another person wrote.
