money Big sister Fiona: Cincinnati Zoo announces hippo Bibi is pregnant
It's official — Fiona, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden's 5-year-old hippo, is going to be a big sister. After posting hints on social media, including a sonogram and picture of watermelons, the zoo confirmed on Monday that Fiona's mother Bibi is pregnant with her second child.
“The hippo team is excited and also nervous,” Eric Byrd, manager of the zoo’s Africa team, said in a release. “As most people know, Bibi’s first baby, 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.”
According to the release, reproductive physiologists at the zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife are working alongside the hippo team to ensure Bibi's healthy pregnancy and have started her on hormone supplements. She will also receive regular ultrasounds to monitor her baby's growth and health.
Fiona the icon: Cincinnati Zoo's pride and joy turns 5 years old
Happy hippos: Photos of Fiona, Bibi and Tucker becoming a family
The zoo welcomed 18-year-old Tucker from the San Francisco Zoo last September, who quickly became "enamored" with 23-year-old Bibi, Cincinnati Zoo said. Breeding between the pair was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan Program, which manages hippos' health and genetic diversity across North American zoos.
“We weren’t planning to welcome a baby this soon, but nature found a way and ignored our calendar,” Christina Gorsuch, director of animal care, said. “Most forms of contraception, in hippos or humans, is not 100 percent reliable. The dose that was previously effective for Bibi did not prevent pregnancy this time.”
Those who would like to keep up with Bibi's pregnancy can do so through Cincinnati Zoo's social media channels, where they will be sharing updates leading up to the birth. Also, Fiona fans don't need to worry, the zoo superstar won't be going anywhere as Hippo Cove has enough room for three adult hippos and one calf.
How long is the hippo gestation period?
According to the Cincinnati Zoo, the hippo gestation period is eight months long or around 243 days, just slightly shorter than the gestation period for humans. Bibi is expected to give birth later this summer, the zoo revealed, meaning she likely became pregnant early this year.
Fiona, Bibi's first child, was expected to arrive in March of 2017. However, she was born six weeks premature on Jan. 24 and weighed only 29 pounds, far less than the typical weight for baby hippos, which ranges between 55 and 120 pounds.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Fiona the hippo to be a sister according to Cincinnati Zoo
