By Michaela Gordoni
Everyone’s favorite pygmy hippo, Moo Deng, just turned one.
“She’s an icon and everyone in the world loves her,” said “mooniac” Molly Swindall, who prepared a birthday breakfast for the pudgy internet sensation. “It’s fun to see she’s her same old self. Fame hasn’t changed her.”
Swindall flew thousands of miles from New York to Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo to celebrate the baby hippo’s birthday, as did a woman from Houston and many other fans, NBC News reported.
The little hippo had a birthday celebration lasting four days. Zookeepers gave her a 44-pound leafy cake.
The event features mascot parades and a photo exhibit, “Moo Deng in Every Movement,” which shows her change from a 5kg newborn to 93kg toddler. There are also craft corners, games and lots of Moo Deng merch — including her own branded ice cream. The activities are free for those 12 and under, The Independent reported.
A charity auction will also sell some of Moo Deng’s belongings to support animal care at the zoo. One of the items is Moo Deng’s favorite plastic basin.
“I love Moo Deng so much,” said Swindall, who had seen Moo Deng in person twice before now. “I think she brought so much joy to people when there was a lot of toughness and there’s still a lot of tough things going on in the world.”
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“I just loved her so much and decided, you know what, I have three or four days off of work,” she added. “I can make it work to fly to Thailand. I will only be there for about 30 hours, but that’s enough to go see Moo Deng. And that’s exactly what I did.”
Flight attendant Thea Chavez, who attended the party, said, “Happy birthday, Moo Deng. Thank you so much for all the happiness you’ve given all the people and many more happy years and a long life ahead.”
Thai fan Rathapat Sripisit, who stayed in a tent nearby the zoo so that she could see Moo Deng, said, “I am happy to see many people, families, and visitors from many countries come to visit us and visit her.”
Moo Deng celebrated her birthday by toddling around, eating, sleeping and hanging out with her mom.
By Thursday afternoon on Moo Deng’s birthday, she had 12,000 visitors, CBS News reported.
Moo Deng’s popularity has created awareness for pygmy hippos, which are endangered. Only about 2,000 exist. Pygmy hippos can survive up to 50 years, so she’s likely to have many more big birthday parties in the years to come.
Happy Birthday, little hippo!
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