PAYS TO BE CUTE
Viral pygmy hippo Moo Deng is given £115,000 by mystery Dubai millionaire super-fan – for being ‘so adorable’
As well as causing havoc inside the zoo, the baby hippo is also responsible for huge traffic jams over the weekend
A SUPERFAN of the pygmy hippo Moo Deng who became an internet sensation has traveled 3,000 miles to give over £100,000 to the animal.
At just two months old, Moo Deng went viral online after her zookeeper in Thailand started posting videos of her funny antics.
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Now thousands of fans flock to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi for a glimpse of the tiny hippo.
Not only does Moo Deng attract huge swathes of tourists, but she is also bringing in huge cheques, especially after capturing the heart of a wealthy Dubai businessman.
The Moo Deng superfan who has only been referred to as $HIPPO had given £115,500 to the zoo.
The businessman flew from Dubai to Thailand to hand the team at the zoo, and Moo Deng's keeper Atthapon 'Benz' Nundee a cheque on October 6 for having such an adorable hippo.
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"To Moo Deng, the cutest hippo in the world," the memo on the cheque read.
While many will gawk at this move, it is not the first time the three-month-old pygmy hippo has been given cash thanks to her charm.
The hippo whose name translates to Bouncy Pig also caught the attention of a crypto investor.
They have so far donated around £830 under the name 'Moodeng on ETH,' the director of the zoological organisation Atthaporn Sriharan said.
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Over the weekend traffic jams were reported across the Chon Buri province due to Moo Deng's popularity, the Bangkok Post as the zoo saw an influx of visitors over the long weekend.
With Moo Deng lovers forced to wait hours for a glimpse of the adorable animal, many have complained that the five-minute view time is too short.
Zoo ‘fatting up animals to turn them into internet stars like Moo Deng’ after pics of big leopard & coma bear go viral
As well as implementing this time restriction, the zoo has also urged visitors without tickets to bring cash with them to speed up the flow of people.
The pygmy hippo celebrated turned three months old on Thursday and the occasion was marked by a veterinary check-up that revealed she has gained 10kg over the past month, now weighing in at 32.7kg.
'PRECIOUS'
As well as bringing in money and causing as much mischief outside the zoo as she does inside, Moo Deng has also inspired creations including a cake by British baker Ben Cullen.
He created a cake version of the hippo and shared it with his 452,000 Instagram followers, as reported by What’s The Jam.
In the clip, which has gathered 2.5 million views so far, a chocolate-covered sponge Moo Deng can be seen lying flat on a bed of biscuit crumbs.
However, the creation was quickly destroyed when Cullen cut out a perfect slice, to the dismay of fans.
"Don't think I can eat the great Moo Deng," one viewer admitted.
"NOOOO I could never hurt precious Moo Deng," another added.
"This looks more Moo Deng than Moo Deng herself," a third marvelled.
As the world falls in love with the pygmy hippo, others have raised concerns and have launched a mission to free her from captivity.
Meanwhile, there is another pygmy hippo threatening to steal the hearts of animal lovers as well as their hard-earned cash.
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Lololi at Taronga Zoo in Sydney was born to 13-year-old mom Kambiri, weighing just 8.8lbs and has also become a social media star.
The adorable hippo – who is now nine months old and whose name translates to 'there is always love' in West Africa – has since grown to a chunky 143.3 lbs.
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