By Juarawee Kittisilpa and Chalinee Thirasupa
CHONBURI (Reuters) -Thailand’s baby pygmy hippo and internet sensation Moo Deng celebrated her first birthday on Thursday, devouring a massive tropical fruit platter alongside her mother as throngs of adoring fans turned up for her four-day party.
Moo Deng, whose name means “bouncing pig” in Thai, became a global superstar last year, with images of her rosy cheeks and clumsily charming antics going viral online, inspiring fan art, merchandise, songs and memes around the world.
Thousands of visitors converged on the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, 100 km (62 miles) south of the capital Bangkok, taking turns to see the bouncy baby hippo during a four-day birthday bash that included a photo exhibition, a charity auction, and a parade.
“Moo Deng has made more people know about the zoo and they travel here, generating so much income for us – which allows us to improve the zoo a lot,” said Atthapon Nundee, Moo Deng’s caretaker at the zoo.
The zoo served Moo Deng and her 26-year-old mother Jona a 20-kilogram (44 pound) “birthday cake” — which was a selection of tropical fruits carved in a Thai traditional style — that was carried into her enclosure by three zoo keepers.
Some of Moo Deng’s prized possessions were auctioned during the festivities, including a plastic bathtub that she had used since her birth. The tub sold for 70,000 baht ($2,150) while a cast of her footprints went for 700,000 baht.
All proceeds from the auction will go towards a wildlife conservation fund.
“I intended to get this because I love Moo Deng so much,” said Mucharim Chutimatipakorn, who won the bid for the hippo’s footprint cast in the auction.
“I also want to contribute to the development of this zoo,” she said.
($1 = 32.5600 baht)
(Additional reporting by Cong Sun, writing by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
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