hippo. from premature baby to bonafide brand. featured on merchandise and given her own ice cream flavor. >> chunky, chunky hippo. >> and time magazinethe year. >> fiona joining the ranks of animal celebs with massive social reach like marty the dog 2 million instagram followers and the nala cat with $3.5 million and april the girard 56 last year was born and 14 million watched in one day. but hippos are not the cuddliest of animals how did the journey to stardom begin, in the womb, first hippo to be barn in the cincinnati zoo for 75 years but almost didn't make it as her mother went to labor six weeks early, and weighed just 29 pounds. typical weight is 55 to 120 pounds. >> she was little. >> she was placed into a ad hoc hippo nicu and put on iv and given round the clock care. the keepers and zoo staff fighting to keep the baby hippo alive. >> it was very touch and go at the beginning. had to make it up on the fly didn't know what was in hippo milk had to milk the mom and have that analyzed. >> her daily struggle documented on facebook. small moments becoming big victories. the world watching as she learned to stand. >> i can stand.

, chunky, hippo. >> reporter: and even a campaign to make her "son of the year. >> come on, fiona, over here. >> reporter: her journey to stardom began in the womb. the first nile hippo said to be born at the cincinnati zoo in 75 years. she almost didn't make it. her mother went into labor six weeks early. >> we were told prognosis was not very good at all. >> reporter: she was placed in an ad hoc nicu. put on an iv and given round the clock care. >> there we go. finish it up. >> reporter: her daily struggle for survival documented on the zoo's facebook page. small moments becoming big victories. the world watching as she learned to stand. >> i stand. i'm a big girl. >> reporter: how to swim and even took her first steps. >> i became emotionally attached just like the rest of the world and a few times i really didn't think she was going to survive. >> reporter: but the little one didn't just survive, she thrived. here's a 6-week-old fiona, stubbornly learning how to walk up and down a ramp. what does she typically eat? >> we're weaning her off a b