A skincare beauty expert has won a contest to sponsor a birthday cake for Moo Deng to celebrate her first anniversary next Thursday.
"Khao Kheow Open Zoo thanks Phi Foong, the skincare expert, for his support of 100,000 baht for the one-year-old birthday cake of Moo Deng," the zoo said in a Facebook post.
The zoo in Sri Racha district in Chon Buri province opened bidding on a birthday cake for the pygmy hippopotamus on Tuesday and by the time the hotly contested auction closed at 4pm on Thursday, Amata Chaikriangkrai emerged as the winner with the highest offer of 100,000 baht.
Amata, nicknamed Foong, is a co-founder of Amata Innovation Co, which produces AMT Skincare products. The money from the bidding will be used to take care of all the animals at the zoo. In return, Amata will receive a certificate and a banner bearing his name will be posted in the hippo section for one month.
The animal, who is a global sensation, continues to receive birthday messages from fans both in Thailand and abroad on the Khamoo and the Gang Facebook page. The US embassy in Thailand on Friday sent her "Sammie", a hippo doll, a birthday gift that also marks July 4th, America's Independence Day.
Moo Deng was born on July 10 last year. She has drawn vast throngs of people to visit her home at Khao Kheow.
The appearance of a birthday cake to be given to Moo Deng to celebrate her birthday. (Photo: Khao Kheow Open Zoo Facebook account)
