Everyone's favorite adorably sassy hippo, Fiona, is turning 5-years-old on Jan. 24 and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is celebrating her milestone with a special virtual birthday party.
And the best part is, we're all invited — as long as we get her a birthday present.
The zoo is offering a promotion where if you purchase a $5 "gift" for Fiona on their website, you get an invite to her party, a digital thank you card from the hippo herself, and a chance to win both a limited-edition, hippo-themed table from Scottish artist Mark Stoddart and an original, framed "kiss" painting by Fiona (where she smushes her snoot onto a canvas).
“Fiona has fans all over the world, and we want to open her party up to everyone,” said Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard in a release. “Plus, planning an outdoor celebration in January is risky! A virtual celebration is the perfect way to include everyone.”
Each $5 gift comes with one entry to win Stoddart's 54-inch-by-36-inch coffee table, which features a mother and a baby hippo made out of bronze, supporting a glass top. And if you level up to a $20 gift, you get five chances to win the table and Fiona's kiss painting.
All proceeds from the party will go to support the zoo and the Rare Gem Talent School, a Kenya-based organization for children with dyslexia.
Birthday gifts must be purchased at cincinnatizoo.org by 11:59 p.m. Jan. 22, 2022. The grand prize winner will be announced during Fiona's virtual birthday party on Jan. 24, 2022.
And while we wait to celebrate her fifth birthday, you can revisit baby Fiona with this collection of adorable photos.
On January 24, 2017, Fiona the hippo defied odds when she was born six weeks premature at the Cincinnati Zoo. At the time of her birth, she weighed a meager 29 pounds — about a fifth of what most hippos weigh when they're born.
She gained international fame as she struggled to survive, with fans joining the #TeamFiona hashtag to follow her journey.
Fiona now weighs around 1,800 pounds and recently welcomed a new step-dad, Tucker — a potential future mate for her mom, Bibi.
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