Move over, Harambe! Cincinnati Zoo writing book about star baby hippo
- 7 years ago
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo's new star attraction, a baby hippo named Fiona, has been making headlines this year while also drowning out negative publicity over the disastrous Harambe incident. Now, the zoo's director is writing a children's book about the famous little hippo.
This January, Fiona the hippo was born six weeks premature, weighing in at only 29 pounds, tiny compared to the average weight of between 55 and 120 pounds, according to The Telegraph. Unable to stand and unwilling to eat, the baby hippo required oxygen tubes and 24-hour care for months to stay alive, which the zoo staff admits was very much in doubt. NBC affiliate WLWT5 News reports she is the smallest known newborn hippo to survive.
Now six months old and her scale reading a whopping 421 pounds, Fiona the hippo is out of the woods, and set to make a big splash on the covers of books.
The LA Times reports the zoo's director, Thane Maynard, announced this week he'll be writing a children's book entitled "Saving Fiona: Science, Social Media and the Story of a Baby Hippo" to be released in January 2019. Proceeds of the book will all go toward the zoo, which is winning back headlines this year by celebrating Fiona's life, following an onslaught of worldwide criticism over the tragic passing of 17-year-old male silverback gorilla, Harambe.
This January, Fiona the hippo was born six weeks premature, weighing in at only 29 pounds, tiny compared to the average weight of between 55 and 120 pounds, according to The Telegraph. Unable to stand and unwilling to eat, the baby hippo required oxygen tubes and 24-hour care for months to stay alive, which the zoo staff admits was very much in doubt. NBC affiliate WLWT5 News reports she is the smallest known newborn hippo to survive.
Now six months old and her scale reading a whopping 421 pounds, Fiona the hippo is out of the woods, and set to make a big splash on the covers of books.
The LA Times reports the zoo's director, Thane Maynard, announced this week he'll be writing a children's book entitled "Saving Fiona: Science, Social Media and the Story of a Baby Hippo" to be released in January 2019. Proceeds of the book will all go toward the zoo, which is winning back headlines this year by celebrating Fiona's life, following an onslaught of worldwide criticism over the tragic passing of 17-year-old male silverback gorilla, Harambe.