A month-old hippo born premature is clear to return to her pool. The Cincinnati Zoo says Fiona's IV has been removed and "vets have given her the okay to resume supervised pool time."Fiona was born January 24, arriving six weeks early. She has been under near constant care since. That included help last week from a team from Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Doctors inserted an IV to provide fluids to the dehydrated Nile hippo calf.
In an update Friday the Zoo writes:
One-month-old Fiona has outgrown two pools already! Now that her IV has been removed, vets have given her the okay to resume supervised pool time. Hippos don’t actually swim. They float and are able to hold their breath for long periods. Spending time in the pool will help Fiona build muscle and lung strength, keep her skin moist and let her act like a hippo! Her new pool is set up close to mom and dad so she can hear and smell them.
