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By Amir Daftari
News Reporter
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In a bid to prevent others making money from Thailand's hugely popular baby pygmy hippo, Moo Deng, zoo bosses in charge of her have started the process of patenting the animal's name.
Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi said the Khao Kheow Open Zoo has begun the process of trademarking "Moo Deng the hippo" to prevent others from commercializing her. "After we do this, we will have more income to support activities that will make the animals' lives better," he said. "The benefits we get will return to the zoo to improve the life of all animals here."
The decision to secure her name comes after Moo Deng's fame skyrocketed, both domestically and internationally, just a month after her debut on Facebook.
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Zookeeper Atthapon Nundee, who has been posting about the animals in his care for five years, never expected this level of attention for the newborn pygmy hippo.
"It was beyond expectation," Atthapon told The Associated Press. "I wanted people to know her. I wanted a lot of people to visit her, or watch her online, or leave fun comments. I never would've thought (of this)."
Cars lined up outside the zoo early Thursday morning, hours before it opened. Fans traveled from all over to see the adorable 2-month-old hippo in person, at the zoo located about 60 miles southeast of Bangkok. Moo Deng lives with her mother, Jona, and their enclosure quickly filled with visitors. The baby hippo's pink cheeks and skittish movements prompted cheers and coos from the crowd.
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Moo Deng's name, which means "bouncy pork" in Thai, was chosen by fans via a social media poll. It matches her siblings' names: Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork). The zoo also has a common hippo named Kha Moo (stewed pork leg).
"She's such a little lump. I want to ball her up and swallow her whole!" said fan Areeya Sripanya while visiting the zoo.
Moo Deng has already become an internet sensation, with memes and cartoons created in her likeness. Even social media platform X featured her on its official account.
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The zoo spans almost 2,000 acres and is home to over 2,000 animals. It runs breeding programs for many endangered species, including pygmy hippos. The pygmy hippopotamus, native to West Africa, is endangered due to poaching and habitat loss, with only 2,000-3,000 left in the wild.
To help fund these programs, the zoo is preparing to sell Moo Deng-themed merchandise, including shirts and pants, by the end of the month.
Since Moo Deng's popularity has surged, the zoo now limits public access to her enclosure to 5-minute windows on weekends. Visitor numbers have jumped from 800 to 4,000 on weekdays and from 3,000 to over 10,000 on weekends.
For fans unable to visit in person, the Khao Kheow Open Zoo plans to launch a 24-hour live feed of Moo Deng's enclosure in the coming week.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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