‘Bouncy Pork’ Thai pygmy hippo Moo Deng turns 1 with grand 4-day zoo festival, delights fans
Admirers flock to zoo to extend birthday wishes, one enthusiastic fan travelling from New York to partake in joyous occasion
Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo adored by fans worldwide, celebrated her first birthday on July 10 with an extravagant four-day party.
Moo Deng’s home, the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province near Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, organised a series of celebratory events from July 10 to 13.
The zoo prepared a 20kg cake for the little hippo, crafted from her favourite tropical fruits, and shared it with her 26-year-old mother, Jona.
Ahead of the celebration, the zoo auctioned the cake, with a skincare professional generously donating 100,000 baht (US$3,100), as reported by the Bangkok Post.
Additionally, the zoo auctioned memorabilia associated with Moo Deng. Among the items were a black plastic bathtub she used as a baby, which sold for 50,000 baht (US$1,500), and a clay cast of her footprint, won by the cosmetic brand NAREE for 700,000 baht.
WATCH LIVE: Baby hippo Moo Deng’s first birthday
All proceeds from the auctions will be donated to the Wildlife Patronage Project to promote animal welfare at the zoo.