CHONBURI — 10 July 2026, Thailand’s celebrity pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng celebrated her second birthday on 10 July, with Khao Kheow Open Zoo marking the occasion with a grand celebration, free admission for children and the release of figures highlighting the zoo’s revenue growth since the viral hippo rose to global fame.
Khao Kheow Open Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoy said this Friday marked Moo Deng’s second birthday. Children were admitted free of charge to celebrate the occasion and wish the globally popular pygmy hippo a happy birthday.
The zoo also officially unveiled its new “Hippo Village” project, a sprawling 10-rai (16,000-square-metre) exhibition and habitat designed to improve the welfare and living conditions of hippopotamuses and pygmy hippos, particularly Moo Deng and her family.
Narongwit said that while it is difficult to attribute a specific amount of revenue solely to Moo Deng, the zoo’s overall financial performance reflects the impact of her global popularity. Before the Moo Deng phenomenon, Khao Kheow Open Zoo generated about 180 million baht in revenue during the 2024 fiscal year. Revenue then surged to 319 million baht in fiscal 2025, when Moo Deng’s popularity peaked. With three months remaining in fiscal 2026, the zoo has already generated 160 million baht in revenue.
“Moo Deng and the other hippos in her family have become symbols of happiness and joy for many Thai people,” Narongwit said.
He added that other zoos operated by the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand also house hippopotamuses and pygmy hippos that continue to delight visitors, encouraging people living near any of the organisation’s zoos to visit the animals there.
