Thailand’s oldest hippo turns 61

Chon Buri zoo holds birthday celebration for Mae Mali

A lively and heartwarming 61st birthday ceremony was held on Tuesday for Mae Mali, Thailand’s oldest hippopotamus, at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri, with animal lovers and fans gathering to offer best wishes as she enjoyed a special fruit cake.

The event began at 9am when zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi joined management, employees, visitors and supporters in celebrating the beloved female hippo, one of the zoo’s most iconic residents alongside the pygmy hippo Moo Deng.

The atmosphere was festive and heartwarming, with the highlight being a giant fruit cake prepared especially for Mae Mali.

The cake featured many of her favourite foods, including watermelon, dragon fruit, apples, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, grapes, carrots and fresh grass.

As soon as Mae Mali emerged from her pond enclosure, she slowly made her way over to the cake and began eating, while well-wishers sang “Happy Birthday” and applauded.

Narongwit Chodchoi (second from left) director of Khao Kheow Open Zoo, joins staff at the birthday celebration for Mae Mali. (Photo: Khao Kheow Open Zoo))

Mae Mali was given to Thailand by Tilburg Zoo in the Netherlands on June 8, 1967, when she was just one year old. She was initially cared for at Dusit Zoo in Bangkok before being transferred to Khao Kheow Open Zoo on Dec 18, 2018.

Over more than six decades, the old hippo has given birth to 14 calves. She remains in good health and is closely monitored and cared for by the zoo’s veterinarians and keepers.

Zoo officials said Mae Mali could potentially set a world record in the future as the world’s longest-living hippopotamus.

The normal lifespan of hippos is 40 to 50 years. The oldest known hippopotamus in captivity was Bertha, who died at the age of 65 at the Manila Zoo in 2017.

(Photo: Khao Kheow Open Zoo)

A fruit cake is prepared for popular hippo Mae Mali on her 61st birthday. (Photo: Khao Kheow Open Zoo)