(CNN) — The new baby hippo born last week at the Cincinnati Zoo is a boy, the zoo announced Monday.
Bibi the hippo gave birth Wednesday night, and her calf is the younger sibling of Fiona, who became an international celebrity after being born six weeks prematurely in 2017.
“We’re just happy that the calf is healthy. The sex didn’t matter much to the hippo team, but it will be interesting to observe and compare the behavioral differences between a hand-raised girl and a mom-raised boy,” said Christina Gorsuch, Cincinnati Zoo’s director of animal care, in a statement.
“Will this calf be as comfortable with humans as Fiona is? Will he be less independent? Will he love cameras?”
“This calf looks huge to us because Fiona, Bibi’s first baby, only weighed 29 pounds when she was born six weeks premature and wasn’t able to stand on her own,” Gorsuch said. “This new calf weighs at least twice as much as Fiona did and is already walking.”
The Cincinnati Zoo said Bibi and her baby hippo will remain “off habitat” for at least the next two weeks to bond.
Top image from @cincinnatizoo