We don't exactly know what baby hippo Fritz will weigh on his first birthday. In fact, the staff is trying to guess ahead of Thursday's official weigh-in. Early this spring, he tipped the scale at nearly 600 pounds.
At that kind of weight, it's hard to believe Fiona's little brother is turning one. Thursday he's expected to eat up all the attention, but likely will share his special food with the rest of the bloat.
PHOTOS: Fritz makes his debut to the public in 2022
One of his treats will be watermelon — fitting because the Cincinnati Zoo points out Aug. 3 is also World Watermelon Day, calling Fritz a "one-in-a-melon-baby."
"Fiona has been the center of attention since, in 2017, she became the first premature hippo to survive," says Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard. "She is still wildly popular, but people — including me — have also really fallen for Fritz."
Spokesperson Angela Hatke says Fritz has a lot of personality, just like his sister. "We joke he learned it from her. He has lots of sass, he loves lettuce. He'll always go up to the windows and look at the guests like Fiona does. And he's always there pestering his big sister."
RELATED: How Fiona celebrated her 6th birthday
The zoo put together this video with highlights from Fritz's first year of life.
You can be part of Fritz's party
Visitors to the zoo on Thursday can celebrate Fritz's birthday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 3 with Busken birthday cake and Graeter’s ice cream, watermelon carvings, a "Fritz Spritz" and watermelon candy.
