A Baby Hippo Photobombed A Proposal—And It’s Adorable

This is just too cute. They'll laugh at this photo for years to come!

September 12, 2019October 25, 2017 by Mitchell Byars

Not every couple has their engagement blessed by a bonafide internet celebrity. But Fiona the baby hippo was gracious enough to grant one couple just that.

Nick Kelble and Hayley Roll were at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden on Oct. 8, 2017, to see Fiona in person for the first time. Ever since she was born six weeks premature, the petite baby hippo has captivated the world, and people like Kelble and Roll have been traveling from all over to see her.

‘Huge #TeamFiona Fans’

“We are huge #TeamFiona fans and have been following her since she was born,” Roll told the Daily Buzz.

The two got in line—Fiona is pretty popular—and patiently waited their turn to see the baby hippo.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BarZuFoBjpS/?taken-by=cincinnatizoo

But what Roll didn’t know is that Kelble had a big plan.

A Well-Timed Proposal

“We went to the zoo for our one-year anniversary and Fiona was in the window,” Roll told the Daily Buzz. “Nick, my boyfriend, and I were waiting in line to get our photo taken with Fiona and I gave my cell phone to someone to take the photo and when I turned back around, Nick was on one knee proposing.”

Awwww.

Roll said yes, but what has the internet saying “YES!” is the photo that accompanied the proposal. Roll posted a picture of the moment on Instagram and, sure enough, Fiona is perfectly posed for the picture. It’s almost like the little hippo was in on the surprise!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ_usKJBZKY/?taken-by=hayley_roll

“We’re so happy Fiona could be there on our special day. Here’s to many more years of going to zoos with you,” Roll wrote on her Instagram post.

That post has since gone viral, accumulating more than 1,300 likes and even getting a shout-out from Jimmy Fallon.

Kelble, a student at the University of Cincinnati, and Roll, a radiology tech at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, told the Daily Buzz they plan on waiting until Kelble graduates in 2019 to get married. The current date they’ve chosen is July 20, 2019, in Sandusky, Ohio.

Maybe by then, Fiona will be old enough to officiate the ceremony. After all, zoo animals have participated in weddings before.

Animals Crashing Weddings

This isn’t the first time that a cute animal has crashed a wedding. Remember the beluga whale that “attended” a wedding at a Connecticut aquarium (and set off an epic Photoshop battle among people just dying to write a caption or otherwise riff on this funny photobomb)?

Here’s the original: