CINCINNATI, Ohio (WDTN) — Cincinnati’s newest hippo, Fritz, made his first venture into the outdoor habitat on Monday morning.
“The habitat introduction went pretty much as we hoped it would,” said Cincinnati Zoo’s director of animal care Christina Gorsuch.
Since he was born, Fritz has remained in the indoor habitat with his mother, Bibi, to bond. Monday marked his first appearance in the outdoor habitat.
Gorsuch said, “Bibi, followed closely by Fritz, came out right away and walked into the pool. She showed great maternal instincts and used her body to block Fritz from spending too much time in deep water. He went under to nurse and explore a little but stayed right by mom.”
They stayed in the water for just over an hour, said the zoo. After Fritz and Bibi went back inside, Fiona and Tucker came outside.
“We will continue to expose Fritz to the habitat more and more in the coming days,” said Gorsuch. “Once we’re confident that he and Bibi are comfortable in all corners of that space, visitors will get a chance to see them.”
The zoo said they will continue to post updates and introductions as they happen.
