Fiona the hippo swims in 'big kid' pool

AVONDALE, OH (FOX19) - The Nile hippo born 6 weeks early continues to improve at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Zoo officials posted a new video of Fiona on Friday, saying she has "graduated to a 'big kid' pool and continues to make progress with her coordination in the water."

The Nile hippo recently hit a 40 lb. benchmark, and continues to grow stronger and gain weight, according to the zoo.

"At this point she is absolutely going in the right direction." said Jenna Wingate, who is a part of the team that's caring for Fiona.

While the news is good, the road is still quite long.

"She is still very, very susceptible to all sorts of infections, and unfortunately she's not out of the woods yet," Wingate said.

The crew has reached out to a group in Africa for advice on raising Fiona. They're also working with the zoo community for help.

"We don't know exactly what to do for her, but we're doing our very, very best in there.  There are great people, and all of us are collaborating on what we think would keep her the healthiest," Wingate said.

Zoo officials hope to have Fiona living outside in Hippo Cove with her parents by the spring.

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