This is the adorable moment a premature baby hippo plays with its parents for the first time.
Little Fiona was born six weeks early in January weighing just 29lbs, while healthy babies usually tip the scales at 55-120lbs.
The cute calf was introduced to her mother Bibi a few weeks ago and has previously had contact with her dad Henry in an indoor enclosure.
But heartwarming footage shows all three of the happy hippos spending time together as a family for the first time.
The hippos swim, play and splash about in a water pool that is part of Hippo Cove at Cincinnati Zoo in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Fiona – who is just a tenth of the size of her hefty parents – nuzzles them, nibbles at them and even rides on their backs.
The reunion, on Tuesday, was followed by further sessions in the water on Wednesday and Thursday.
Christina Gorsuch, curator of mammals, said of the first meeting: “The introduction lasted about an hour, and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it went.
“Fiona has been exploring the outdoor habitat with her mum for several weeks and has had contact with Henry inside, but today was the first time that the three hippos have been together.
“Bibi was protective of Fiona and gave Henry cues about how to interact appropriately with the little one.
“It has taken almost six months to reach this major milestone, and it feels great.
“There’s no manual on how to hand raise and reintroduce a premature hippo, but our animal care staff got Fiona through health hurdles and overcame curveballs to get us where we are now.”
Fiona weighed 29 pounds when she was born, on January 24, which is about 25 pounds lighter than the lowest recorded birth weight for this species.
Now she weighs almost 375 pounds, with her parents weighing ten times that amount.
