Beloved pygmy hippo Moo Deng celebrates first birthday
Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo turned social media star, has celebrated her first birthday, with thousands turning out to celebrate with her.
The Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Bangkok was overrun with fans on the first day of four days of activities marking the occasion.
And what would a birthday party be without a singsong and a slice of cake?
Well, Moo Deng's celebrations were no different, with fans singing her 'Happy Birthday' and the park presenting her with a cake made from a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Fans travelled from far and wide to celebrate with Moo Deng, including Jennifer Tang from Malaysia.
'She makes me happy. Whenever I'm stressed at work, I pull up photos of Moo Deng,' Tang said. 'So my whole office knows that I'm here... They let me take a week off.'
The zoo held an online auction to celebrate the special occasion with photographs, footprints, and even a food container all up for grabs.
Money raised from the auction will go towards helping the animals under the zoo's care.
When the world met Moo Deng
Moo Deng soared to social media stardom shortly after she was born when zoo keeper Atthapon Nundee shared pictures and videos of the baby hippo online.
Nundee continues to keep fans updated with happy hippo moments to this day.
Followers of Moo Deng even got to help choose the celebrity hippo's name via a social media poll last year.
Moo Deng means "bouncy pork" in Thai, with her name matching her other siblings: Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork).
There is also another hippo who lives at the zoo named Kha Moo, which translates to stewed pork leg.
The Khao Kheow Open Zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals and saw a spike in visitors when Moo Deng first rose to fame.
But since the height of her celebrity stardom, the number of people visiting the park has fallen by almost half.
'Moo Deng is a representative of all wild animals, and she helps everyone understand the roles of zoos,' Narongwit told The Associated Press.
'She speaks for all nearly extinct animals, and turns people's attention to their conservation.'
The zoo also runs breeder programs for many endangered species, including the pygmy hippopotamus.
The species is native to West Africa, where it is threatened by poaching and loss of habitat. There are only 2,000 to 3,000 left in the wild.
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