Avondale in Cincinnati in Hamilton County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Fiona the Hippo

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 31, 2025

1. Fiona the Hippo Marker

Inscription. On January 24, 2017, the Cincinnati Zoo's baby hippo, Fiona, was born six weeks before her due date. She weighed only 29 pounds. The normal birth weight range for a Nile hippo is 55-120 pounds.

She was too small and weak to stand and nurse from her mother, Bibi, so caregivers and vet staff stepped in to provide comfort, nutrition, and critical care.

Fiona is the smallest hippo ever to survive. Her story of perseverance has served as inspiration for many.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Animals. A significant historical date for this entry is January 24, 2017.

Location. 39° 8.71′ N, 84° 30.363′ W. Marker is in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Hamilton County. It is in Avondale. It can be reached from Dury Avenue. The marker is near Hippo Cove in the Cincinnati Zoo. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3489 Dury Avenue, Cincinnati OH 45229, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and in the Ohio River Valley.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself

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in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Gift from the Jewish Community (within shouting distance of this marker); The Sukkah (within shouting distance of this marker); Hellenistic Period (within shouting distance of this marker); Persian Period (within shouting distance of this marker); Bronze Age (within shouting distance of this marker); Chalcolithic Age (within shouting distance of this marker); Iron Age (within shouting distance of this marker); Salmon-Crested Cockatoo (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cincinnati.

Also see . . .
1. Fiona (hippopotamus).

Fiona (born January 24, 2017) is a hippopotamus who lives at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The first Nile hippo imaged on ultrasound pre-natally, and the first born at the zoo in 53 years, she was born prematurely and cared for with the assistance of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

Fiona the Hippo image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 31, 2025

2. Fiona the Hippo

After her birth, Fiona the Hippo became a local, national, and even international celebrity thanks to the power of social media.

(Submitted on July 26, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York.)

2. Baby Hippo Fiona - Episode 1 The Beginning - Cincinnati Zoo (Youtube, 8:14). (Submitted on July 28, 2025.)

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 31, 2025

3. Hippo Cove

The famed hippos of Hippo Cove enjoying the water at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 136 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 26, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.