Cincinnati Zoo giving critical care to premature hippo calf

Cincinnati Zoo staffers are providing critical care to a prematurely born baby hippo.

The zoo says 17-year-old Bibi gave birth early Tuesday to the first Nile hippo born there in 75 years.

The female calf wasn’t expected until March. At only 29 pounds, it’s well below the normal range of birth weight of 55 to 120 pounds and unable to stand to nurse.

Mammals curator Christina Gorsuch says staffers are giving the calf fluids and keeping it moist and warm.

Keepers have collected milk from the mother. Gorsuch says they hope to get the newborn to drink its mother’s milk and other supplements from a bottle.

The zoo says vets and animal care staff are providing round-the-clock care for the baby of Bibi and Henry, the 35-year-old father.