Fiona the Rescued Baby Hippo Graduates to the Adult Swimming Pool at the Cincinnati Zoo

Fiona, the absolutely adorable rescued baby hippo who enjoys her warm baths and sticks out her tongue while she sleeps, has gotten big enough to graduate to the adult sized pool at the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio.

Fiona has reached an important milestone. She has been introduced to the indoor pools that her mom and dad use. They were drained to a manageable depth for her and will become deeper as she masters propelling herself to the surface for air. One of many things she must master before venturing into the outdoor hippo habitat is being able to navigate in deeper water.

Fiona’s caretakers are working to re-introduce Fiona to her parents, although she has made some contact with her mother.

Fiona’s full introduction to her parents will take time, but she is now able to touch her mom, Bibi, through mesh in her neighboring stall. They spent some time checking each other out, nose to nose, this morning.