Fiona Has a Brother! Cincinnati Zoo's Mother Boy Calf for Bibi

Amy Labarbara

Amy Labarbara, a representative from the Cincinnati Zoo, stated on Monday that the young hippopotamus is "doing so well," despite the fact that he has not yet met his internationally famous sister. On Monday, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden made the long-awaited announcement on the gender of Fiona the Hippo's newsworthy new brother, and it's a boy!

On Wednesday, mother hippo Bibi gave birth to a healthy baby hippo, but zoo keepers kept their distance from the calf in order to not interfere with the process of parental bonding. As a result, the newborn's sex was initially unclear. Mother hippo Bibi gave birth on Wednesday.

Amy Labarbara revealed the news

On the other hand, a spokesperson for the zoo named Amy Labarbara revealed the news on the Today show on Monday morning, saying that "we have a bouncy baby boy." Labarbara remarked, "He's amazing," as some fresh footage of the newborn was presented on the NBC morning show. "He's amazing," "He is doing quite well. He is quite powerful. Just doing what we expect a newborn hippo to do, which is hanging out with his mother and acting normally. He is currently swimming and is doing really well."

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Cincinnati Zoo is currently soliciting ideas

The one thing that the young hippo still hasn't done? Get to know his well-known sibling! "He has not met her yet, but he has seen her from a distance," Labarbara added, explaining that introducing the two is "sort of a long process." "He has not met her yet, but he has seen her from a distance." In addition, the hippopotamus has not yet been given a name, and the Cincinnati Zoo is currently soliciting ideas for a moniker from visitors via an online form.

Craig Melvin

They are going to go through all of the submissions and decide on a name later on this week. Craig Melvin, a co-host on Today, had originally recommended that the Hippo should be called "Hoda" after a colleague named Hoda Kotb. However, on Monday, Melvin altered his answer to "Al" in honour of weatherman Al Roker.

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Christina Gorsuch

Christina Gorsuch, the director of animal care at the Cincinnati Zoo, provided an update on the zoo's newest baby boy in a statement that was issued on Monday. "We are ecstatic to see that the calf appears to be in good health. The hippo team didn't really care much about the gender of the hippo, but it will be intriguing to study and compare the behavioural differences between a hand-raised girl and a mom-raised boy, especially since the hand-raised girl is expected to be more independent "Gorsuch said. "Will this calf have the same level of ease with people that Fiona does? Will he be less independent? Will he be fascinated by photography?"

How is the young animal adjusting to life with its mother?

"Bibi and the baby are developing beautifully as a unit. Because they are inseparable, it took almost five days before we could be certain that they had sexual relations "explained Gorsuch. "They will keep getting closer to one another inside for the next week or two. Because Fiona and Tucker were moved outside, visitors to the zoo will still have the opportunity to observe hippos during their stay."

According to a release from the zoo, members of the zoo have access to live cams that are installed in the outdoor habitat and may observe the goings-on in Hippo Cove from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.