Brand-new baby hippo is ‘strong and looking really healthy so far’

(CNN) — Bibi the hippo gave birth Wednesday night, the Cincinnati Zoo said in a tweet Thursday.

“Bibi gave birth around 10 p.m. and all seems to be going well for Mom and baby so far,” the zoo said. “They will remain off habitat for about 2 weeks to bond.”

A name is likely to be discussed today, Jenna Wingate, a senior zookeeper with the zoo’s Africa Team, told CNN New Day Thursday.

“We’ve had our focus on just having this healthy calf come out into the world and keeping our focus on Bibi,” said Wingate.

“We are so happy to say that the baby is strong and looking really healthy so far,” Wingate said.

That means Fiona, Bibi’s daughter, is officially a big sister.

Fiona became an international celebrity after being born six weeks prematurely in 2017, weighing in at only 29 pounds at birth. Hippos are typically born at closer to 100 pounds.

Fiona’s weight was a record-breaking low weight for a hippo, but she managed to survive against all odds, CNN previously reported. Fiona now weighs about 1,300 pounds.

Wingate said the zoo was “cautiously optimistic” about Bibi’s latest pregnancy given how prematurely Fiona was born.

“This calf seems to be really healthy,” Wingate said. “We haven’t gotten a weight on this one yet but we are estimating it be over 50 pounds for sure, and usually they’re about 50-100 pounds.”

The zoo said in a news release that Bibi and her baby “will not be visible to the public right away,” but that it’s working to “share photos and videos if the care team is able to get them without disturbing them.”

“The newborn hippo has spent most of the day in the indoor pools with Bibi, exploring, resting and nursing, which is exactly what the hippo care team was hoping for,” the zoo said on Twitter. “Hippos spend most of their life in water and hippo calves even nurse underwater.”

Top image: A new baby hippo was born at Cincinnati Zoo on Wednesday night. (@cincinnatizoo/Twitter)