Everyone Loves Fiona

Dear George,

Thanks to YouTube videos, our Cincinnati Zoo’s baby hippo, Fiona, has become the most famous hippo in all of history.  She has over half a million followers on Facebook, and views of her videos run into the millions.  Born six weeks early on Jan. 24, 2016, Fiona weighed less than half as much as the average hippo newborn, and there was grave concern about her survival.  Now her size, weight, and health status are equivalent to hippos born after a full-term pregnancy.  Katja and I check for Fiona updates every day, and I have to admit that I’ve adopted her as my muse.  Here’s my update.

Love,

Dave

      Everyone Loves Fiona

My wife says Fiona is beautiful

I myself think she’s ugly-cute

She could be hired by Looney Tunes

Such a pudgy little hippo galoot

Fiona was a six-week preemie

They doubted they’d keep her alive

She weighed only twenty-nine pounds at birth

The smallest had been fifty-five

This newborn was too weak to nurse with her mom

The humans took over her care

She got early food through an intravenous tube

For months it was scare after scare

Twenty-five people joined Fiona’s team

Keepers, techies, and vets

They called her “Little Spoon” from snuggling

Perilous work but they had no regrets

Fiona gained pounds, got ready for her pool

She learned how to climb down the ramp

Soon she was paddling from side to side 

As though it were summer camp

Now Fiona’s at home in the water

She glides along the bottom of her pool

Then she’ll come up for a quick snootful of air

Dive back down through her own whirlpool

Fiona’s been learning to run here and there

She’s speedy though not a gazelle

Curious about every new plaything

Which she seeks out to nudge and to smell

This baby is such a good eater

All day long she has formula and hay 

This week she reached over two ninety pounds

She will wind up three thousand, they say

Her parents are Bibi and Henry

Together they weigh three point five tons

This youngster must get bigger to be with them

So she won’t be squashed by their buns

We keep a close eye on Fiona

Her YouTube videos are grand

This hippo’s the source of our smiles and laughs

When we meet her we’ll do a handstand