9 of the most amazing zoo celebrities in Ohio

Zoos in Ohio have had a long history of showcasing and teaching the public about wild animals. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, for instance, opened in 1875, making it the second zoo in the U.S.

Three of the largest zoos in the state, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Toledo, rated in the top five of USA Today’s Reader’s choice award for the 10 Best Zoos in the U.S. in 2014. Toledo was rated No. 1 with Cincinnati and Columbus coming in at Nos. 3 and 5, respectively.

» RELATED: Fiona the hippo met the media this week, and Twitter loved it

» RELATED: Fiona the hippo is 6 months old so here are 6 of our FAVORITE photos

Here are just a few animals from these zoos that have won our hearts:

Toledo Zoo

Kipenzi

Kipenzi, a female Masai giraffe, was born at the Toledo Zoo on April 3, 2017. The giraffe was up on her feet and nursing nearly an hour after her birth, according to the The (Toledo) Blade.

😊 She hasn't learned that to make friends you probably shouldn't chase them 😅

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Willa

The Toledo Zoo now has three red pandas after nearly 20 years without these animals. The three Red Pandas, Willa (seen photobombing below), Leela and Maiya, came to the Toledo Zoo in June 2015.

😂 #toledo #zoo #toledozoo #ohio #redpanda #animallove #animalkingdom #animaladdicts

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Emerson

Emerson is a 100-year-old, 450-pound Galapagos tortoise that came to the zoo in 2014 from the San Diego Zoo.

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens

Fiona

Many people have been following the news of Fiona, the hippo that was born prematurely on Jan. 24, from her first steps to her reuniting with her family in the exhibit. Fiona is the first Nile hippo to be born at the Cincinnati Zoo in 75 years.

📷😍💕💯💦☀️😎🐾👍#cincinnatizoo #cincinnati #closeenoughtocare #teamfiona #fionafix #sundayfunday #sundayvibes #sundayswim

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Three baby lemurs

Two lemurs at the Cincinnati Zoo gave birth within three days of one another in July resulting the zoo’s ring-tailed lemur population doubling in just as many days.

On July 17, the Cincinnati Zoo’s eastern black rhino Seyia gave birth to Kendi after carrying the calf to a full term of 15 months.

Triton, an Asian-small-clawed otter pup, was born on May 17 in the Australia and Islands exhibit.

😍#PUPDATE! Triton the Asian small-clawed otter is now on view! This 2-month-old otter pup can be seen at the Australia and the Islands region early in the morning. He's now receiving diving lessons from mom and keepers note that he's a strong swimmer just like his namesake suggests! Asta encourages Triton to try new things quickly, but dad Oscar is a bit more protective and hesitant to let his little boy do things on his own. Triton and his parents have access to their den, so they might take breaks throughout the day while Triton's stamina increases. #ColumbusZoo #SavingSpecies #otter #otterpup #otterbaby #babyanimal #ZooBorns #ZooBabies #AsianSmallClawedOtter #AsSeenInColumbus #ExpCols

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Kenya

Kenya is an African serval, a small cat with long legs and lean body, and is able to jump 10 feet into the air to catch prey.

😸 without a running start, helping to make her the most successful wildcat hunters in the entire world! Kenya is one of my favorites at Animal Encounters Village, and you can see her during our 1 and 3 p.m. shows! –Heather, Animal Programs Specialist #Kenyafeelthelove #crazycatladyagain

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Shenzi and Banzai

Two spotted hyenas, Shenzi and Banzai, were born at the Columbus Zoo in 2014. These mammals are not related to canine or feline species but are so unique they have their own- Hyeanidae.

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