Happy Birthday Fiona and Thank You For All the Joy
By: Betsy Ross
Photography and Videography by: Shae Combs
All I really need to know in life, I learned from Fiona.
It is the birthday month for the world’s most beloved hippo because, let’s face it, one day is just not enough to celebrate all that is Fiona. From her VERY premature birth on January 24, 2017, to her fourth birthday, Fiona has captivated our imaginations while teaching us life lessons along the way. Let’s start with the birth itself—the team at the Cincinnati Zoo knew she was coming, and was excited that she would be the first Nile hippo to be born at the Cincinnati Zoo in 75 years. But no one knew she was coming quite as early as she did. She was born six weeks prematurely, weighing 29 pounds—most newborn hippos weigh twice that much.
Her care during that time right after birth has been well documented, as #TeamFiona was formed to basically write the book on how to take care of a premature hippo. We watched every moment--from bottle feeding to seeing Fiona lay on volunteers’ stomachs so she could learn how to breathe, to her dehydration scare that required Cincinnati Children’s to step in with a specialized team to insert an IV to get her nutrition.
We laughed, we smiled, we cried, we prayed as Fiona took her first steps, waded in the kiddie pool and finally met her parents. She received cards and letters from school children around the world. Fiona had beaten the odds and today is a healthy, happy hippo, serving as the unofficial mascot for the Zoo. Along the way, Fiona taught us valuable life lessons, including:
Resilience. No other hippo has survived after starting life so small and so premature. Fiona taught us to hang on, even when the odds are against us.
Trust. Fiona had to trust the #TeamFiona staff to teach her how to be a hippo. She waded into the pool with the volunteers, trusting they would take care of her as she learned how to maneuver in the water. Now, the pool at Hippo Cove is one of her favorite places.
Gratitude. To this day, when Fiona sees one of her caregivers, she sprints (as much as an almost 2,000 pound animal can sprint) across the Cove to say hello. You can tell she’s grateful for the care they gave her around the clock during her first six months.
Friendship. If you’ve ever visited Fiona, chances are she’ll swim right up to you and say hello. Fiona’s never met a stranger. During this spring’s Zoo shutdown, Director Thayne Maynard talked about how much the animals missed seeing people, especially Fiona. “Fiona was not just raised by people, she was hand raised by people,” he said.
Stage presence. When the spotlight landed on Fiona, she didn’t give it up. She’s spawned a line of t-shirts, mugs, books, stuffed animals, you name it. She and mom Bibi crush pumpkins for Halloween and open presents from Santa for Christmas. Video of her Super Bowl picks are shown around the world (last year she threw up on Kansas City—and it worked out well for the Chiefs).
This month as we mark Fiona’s 4th birthday, let’s celebrate her amazing, improbably life and take to heart the lessons she’s taught us along the way. Thank you, Fiona, for showing us resilience, trust, gratitude, friendship and yes, a little bit of sass.
Happy birthday, and here’s wishing you many more.