Cincinnati's most famous and beloved hippo took her first steps in front of a gaggle of cameras at the Cincinnati Zoo's outdoor hippo habitat Wednesday.Fiona wandered into the enclosure and made a beeline for the pool in Hippo Cove under the watchful eye of zookeepers and her care team. Divers were positioned in the water to make sure the hippo could manage the 9 foot deep pool. She quickly made her way around the pool, nosing up to the glass to check out the myriad reporters and media who were invited to see her.
Zoo staff are quick to point out Fiona isn't ready to make her public debut yet. It will still be several weeks at least before that happens. The zoo also cautions once Fiona is on public display, it will likely be for short periods of time and she may choose to be inside or take a nap somewhere out of sight.
The zoo reports Fiona is having positive interactions with her mother and father. "It's important to take introductions slowly, so we can't give an exact timeline for when they'll be sharing the same space," the zoo says. "Every milestone, including getting comfortable in the outdoor habitat, gets us closer to that goal."
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