HIPPO WATCH: Fiona’s mother, Bibi, handling pregnancy well

CINCINNATI — UPDATE: July 26

The Cincinnati Zoo provided an update to Bibi’s pregnancy and says that she is doing well as she heads toward the end of her pregnancy.

In a Facebook post recently, the zoo said the hippo care team is cautiously optimistic about the upcoming birth.

ORIGINAL POST:

Everyone’s favorite hippo, Fiona, will soon be a big sister!

The Cincinnati Zoo announced in April that Fiona’s mother, Bibi, was expecting another baby in late summer.

“The hippo team is excited and also nervous,” said Eric Byrd, manager of Cincinnati Zoo’s Africa team. “As most people know, 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.”

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The zoo said reproductive physiologists are working with the hippo team and started Bibi on hormone supplements.

“We weren’t planning to welcome a baby this soon, but nature found a way and ignored our calendar,” said Cincinnati Zoo’s director of animal care, Christina Gorsuch. “Most forms of contraception, in hippos and humans, is not 100% reliable. The does that was previously effective for Bibi did not prevent pregnancy this time.”

The zoo is sharing updated on Bibi and baby preparations on its website and by following @CincinnatiZoo on Twitter.

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