Mali the Hippo was the honoured guest at a grand birthday party last week, something she well deserves, as the second oldest resident of Dusit Zoo has produced nearly 14 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren living in parks in Bangkok and abroad.
Hundreds of visitors to the Bangkok Dusit Zoo offered her their best wishes, as she turned 41, second only to an elephant who is four years her senior.
A press conference was held to announce the activities for four more days of celebration.
Mali arrived from the Tillberg Zoo in the Netherlands in 1967 when she was only two. She has a very big family spread not only over Thailand but also Laos and Malaysia. Her only company now is a granddaughter and great-grandson, Tua Daeng.
Mali has been the delight of Somphong Sawatnum, 44, a keeper who has tended the hippo from the very beginning. "Mali loves all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren who have lived with her. I've seen her looking after her daughter while the daughter was giving birth. She obstructed others because she didn't want them to disturb her."
"Some visitors are fans of Mali's family. I've seen them visit very often and whenever they come here, they ask me about them," said Chalong Sripumma, 31, another zoo worker.
Kids seemed very satisfied when they saw Mali enjoying eating bread and a variety of fruits and vegetables provided for her birthday with her granddaughter, Makham. Mali also received praise from her animal colleagues, who formed a parade. The procession included lions, snakes and camels.
Zoo bosses arranged other activities for visitors, such as donating fruits and vegetables to Mali, getting in free if their name is Mali, viewing an exhibition about the hippo and writing a wish for her. Children under 10 were given a miniature hippo to take home.
