Cincinnati Zoo's Baby Hippo Spending More Time With Parents

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s baby hippo is spending more time with her parents, though a barrier is still kept between them. Video posted on Monday, May 22, shows Fiona interacting with her father, Henry, with the barrier between the two.

Fiona was born six weeks prematurely in January and has been cared for by zoo staff away from her parents. The staff has been slowly reintroducing Fiona to mother Bibi and father Henry with barriers set between them. Slowly, pieces of the barrier have been removed.

“The protective mesh barrier has come down between the stalls, allowing for more physical contact between Fiona and her parents but still ensuring Fiona’s safety by keeping them in separate spaces,” the zoo wrote on Facebook. “Bibi, Fiona’s mom, has spent more time next to Fiona and shows a lot of interest in her.” Credit: Facebook/Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens via Storyful