After my surgery in June, I wanted to reschedule our trip to the Cincinnati Zoo to meet Fiona the Hippo.  My wife and I had originally thought about going in May around both of our birthdays, but that did not happen because of the virus. With the lockdowns and so much uncertainty, my wife and I decided to reschedule the trip.

In the event you haven’t heard about Fiona the Hippo, let me enlighten you. Fiona was born six weeks premature on January 24, 2017, and only weighed 29 pounds.  When a hippo is born, they generally weigh between 55-120 pounds.  Because Fiona was so small when she was born, the zoo keepers at the Cincinnati Zoo had to intervene to help Fiona survive.  The YouTube videos below will help you understand just how small Fiona was and her will to survive.

If you watched the first three episodes above, you understand Fiona only survived because of the Cincinnati Zoo caretakers and the Children’s Hospital staff. Without that combination of those people working together, Fiona would not have survived.  Because of her willingness to survive, Fiona has become an internet sensation worldwide.  I remember the first time I saw her online, I was like “wow” this is an incredible story.  I started following Fiona and could not get enough of her and I had so much respect for this little hippo. For me, it was a feel good story that continues today.

After the quarantine started to be lifted across the country, I told my wife I wanted to go to Cincinnati to meet Fiona. I purchased tickets online for the end of July.  My wife and I made plans to drive the RV and stay at an RV park near the zoo.  Titan and Choctaw did not go on the trip with us because of the amount of time that we would be away from the RV.  I don’t like leaving them alone in the RV for an extended period of time.  So, Titan stayed at Uncle Pete’s house and Choctaw stayed at the pet resort.

On July 28, 2020, my wife and I started the 9.5 hour drive to Cincinnati.  Since we were driving the RV, we stopped in Nashville for the night and stayed at a waterpark that was also an RV park.  I am not going to mention the name of the park because it was horrible.  I can tell you I will never stay there again.

The next day, July 29, 2020, we drove the rest of the way to Cincinnati and arrived about 1pm.  The RV park was small but very nice. We got set up and talked to some of the people staying around us.  Those same people looked at my wife and I like we were crazy when we told them we drove 9.5 hours to see a hippo. Once I enlightened them on the story behind Fiona and how I started following her, they too became very intrigued with her.

The next morning, July 30, 2020, it was cloudy and rain was in the area.  Apparently, a front had moved in overnight and it was suppose to rain all day.  I thought to myself, of all the days it could rain it would be on the day I am suppose to meet Fiona for the first time. I wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t going to let it ruin my day.  Our tickets were reserved for the 10:00-10:30am entry time. So, we headed to the zoo and waited to go in.  Once inside, I asked for directions to the hippo exhibit.  As my wife and I started our walk toward meeting Fiona, it started to rain.  As we approached the entry to the hippo exhibit, I observed a glass window which allowed you to see into Fiona’s pool area. As I got closer to the window, I could see Fiona’s head resting against the window and could see she asleep. Fiona’s Mama, Bibi, was laying on the back of her.  I know this sounds crazy, but I actually got tears in my eyes.  I had followed Fiona online for 3.5 years and the only thing separating us was a glass window.  The video below was filmed by my wife as I met Fiona for the first time.

One of the staff members told us the best time to see Fiona and Bibi was in the afternoon between 3pm-5pm.  The staff member explained to us that hippos are nocturnal and Fiona sleeps in the morning but becomes very active in the afternoons.  With the rain coming down really hard, my wife and I decided to call it a day and head back to the RV where it was dry. Tomorrow is another day.

The next day, July 31, 2020, it was a gorgeous day!! No rain and the sun was shining. My wife and I headed back to the zoo. We had the same entry time as we did the day before.  Once inside, we headed back to the hippo exhibit. Fiona and Bibi were laying on the glass and they were sleeping.  It was still a little too early for them to be up, so we decided to walk the zoo and see the other exhibits. As we walked around the zoo, we were amazed at the beauty of the zoo.  In all the years I’ve been on this earth, I’ve never been to a zoo like the Cincinnati Zoo.  I see why it was voted one of the top zoos in this country.

After we had lunch and walked around the entire zoo, we headed back to the hippo exhibit.  I told my wife I wasn’t leaving until I got to see Fiona awake and playing.  Within about 30 minutes of arriving at the exhibit, Fiona started to wake up. After waking up, Fiona and Bibi put on quiet a show for their guests.

Fiona was so personable to everyone when they walked up to the glass.  The one thing I noticed about her is she loves kids!! Anytime a kid would step close to the glass, Fiona came to each and every one of them.  I was speechless at how personable she was and she how much she wanted to entertain all of her guests.  There was one brief moment when everyone had cleared out of the exhibit.  I stepped up to the glass to see if Fiona would come to me.  Fiona came straight for me.  OMG in that moment, I felt everything just stop.  Fiona raised up on her back legs and pushed herself against the glass toward me.  I put my hand out like I was touching her and we made eye contact. I noticed Fiona’s eyes were blue and I honestly think she would have given me a kiss on the cheek had she been able to.  What an incredible moment and one that will stay with me the rest of my life.

As we left the zoo, I thanked my wife for coming with me to Cincinnati.  She knew how much it meant for me to meet Fiona and I was truly grateful she shared that moment with me.

Next up, Choctaw goes to Florida!!!