Cincinnati Zoo Teaches Fritz the Hippo To 'Speak'-and People Are Impressed
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has been sharing updates on Fritz, the baby hippopotamus, ever since he became an internet favorite, but his latest video may be one of the cutest yet. In the clip, zookeepers work with Fritz, who will turn 4 in August, on a new behavior that almost makes it seem like the young hippo is learning how to "speak."
Make sure your sound is on for this one, because the tiny little voice coming from such a massive animal isn't at all what we expected. We're not entirely sure how Fritz feels about speaking on command, but he definitely seems willing to do it in exchange for a free snack.
@cincinnatizoo Fritz is very vocal and communicates with his keepers with grunts when he wants their attention! He's also very smart and participates in different training sessions to assist with his health care including blood draws, mouth checks and ear checks! Keepers decided to train a fun behavior and are working on teaching him to speak! This is great enrichment for his mind and positive relationship building with his care team! Great job Fritz! You're so smart!
original sound - Cincinnati Zoo - Cincinnati Zoo
The zoo shared more in the caption. "Fritz is very vocal and communicates with his keepers with grunts when he wants their attention! He's also very smart and participates in different training sessions to assist with his healthcare, including blood draws, mouth checks, and ear checks!
Keepers decided to train a fun behavior and are working on teaching him to speak! This is great enrichment for his mind and positive relationship building with his care team!"
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Viewers Love Hearing Fritz 'Talk'
Viewers enjoyed watching Fritz learn to "speak." @Kyle Clark said exactly what we were thinking: "I'd pay a ridiculous amount of money to feed him."
Another commenter admitted, "I just want to boop his snoot."
@Zach joked, "Ahhh yes, the deadly Land Oreo, who thinks he's a puppy (orcas are one of the closest relatives to hippos-two of the most dangerous animals on the planet).
What's so funny about Fritz's tiny voice is that hippos can be extremely loud. According to the San Diego Zoo, hippo grunts have been recorded at 115 decibels. To put it into perspective, that's the volume of a rock concert when you're standing about 15 feet from the speakers!
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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 8:35 PM.