On January 24th, 2017, premature and weighing only 24 pounds, Fiona the hippo was born at Cincinnati Zoo and has been an icon since birth. Weighing 24 pounds less than the lowest recorded weight for her species, Fiona is a miracle hippo. While her birthday has now passed, Fiona’s story can be told many times, yet it never gets old. As her birthday came and passed, here is the story of the one and only Fiona the hippo.
Fiona is the first Nile hippo to be born in the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden after 75 years. She was born 6 weeks early which took most of the zoo keepers and veterinarians by surprise. Because of her out-of-the-norm birth she already had many eyes and stories being told about her. The newly 8-year-old has lived many lives such as being named “Best Cincinnatian” 6 out of the past 7 years only to be beaten by Joe Burrow in 2023. Fiona has almost become Cincinnati’s influencer with people creating merchandise with her face and story on them.
Because the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden know they have a social media star on their hands, they have flipped her sassy personality into a money-grabbing but also beneficial experience for Zoo-goers and the Zoo itself. For Fiona’s 8th birthday, the Zoo announced that there would be a giveaway with sweet sweepstakes for families and friends alike. It was mentioned that if you donate an $8 birthday gift there could be a chance that you win the Ultimate Hippo Getaway Grand prize including the following….
- A Behind the Scenes tour for five people to meet all 4 hippos (valid through 3/31/26)
- $1,250 in flight vouchers with gold status from Frontier Airlines
- Two-night hotel stay at the Summit Hotel – the Zoo’s Official Hotel
- Original Fiona kiss painting
- Fiona’s books illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
The funds from the Grand Prize will be used to provide fun toys, great food, and enrichment activities for the animals at the Zoo. Therefore, it helps not only the Zoo’s animals and their health but also your chances of being able to meet the hippos. The deadline
to enter the contest is January 31st so it is coming up quickly. Make sure to enter and support the hippos with a small donation to help your chances of meeting them and their sassy and spunky personalities.
Happy birthday to Cincinnati’s most iconic and well-known animal. Make sure to wish Fiona a happy birthday and stay updated on the Hippo Getaway Grand Prize to see if you won. Fiona is one of a kind.
