Thailand's oldest hippo celebrates birthday with fruit and song

Thailand’s oldest hippopotamus Mae Mali [Photo: Courtesy]

As children and other spectators sang to mark her 55th birthday, Thailand’s oldest hippopotamus Mae Mali chomped on an assortment of fruit and vegetables arranged in the shape of a cake. Mae Mali, which means “Mother Jasmine” in Thai, who moved to a compound at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in eastern Thailand two years ago from a zoo in Bangkok, and has already outlived a hippo’s typical life expectancy of around 40 to 50 years old.

“Mae Mali is now a grandma. We have been taking great care of her regarding her health, food, and environment,” said zoo director Attaporn Srihayrun. Mae Mali gave birth to numerous calves, and her descendants now number 21 hippos residing in zoos across the Southeast Asian country.