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How the Cincinnati Zoo deals with Fiona's weight gain

Watch: Fiona takes on her first ramp
Posted at 3:54 PM, Mar 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-06 16:22:27-05

CINCINNATI -- It has finally happened.

Fiona the hippo is big enough that her caretakers at the Cincinnati Zoo are having trouble lifting her in and out of her pool. 

The adorable baby hippo that captured the nation's attention after her premature birth in January weighed in at 73 pounds Monday. For perspective, that's about two-and-a-half toddlers. 

The zoo has since started teaching Fiona to use a ramp. In the video above, Fiona can is shown being hesitant at first, even deciding she'd rather nap than climb the ramp into her pool.

Her zoo caretakers used some coaxing methods to get her to step onto the metal ramp. After a few days, they said she went up and down with little assistance. 

Fiona weighed just 29 pounds when she was born on Jan. 24. It was the lightest recorded birth for her species.

Click here for more adorable photos or tap the image below:

On a recent episode of "Hear Cincinnati," WCPO.com's Maxim Alter talked one-on-one with Dr. Jessya Wojtusik, a member of Fiona's care team at the Cincinnati Zoo. Listen below (interview starts at about 13:45):