'Pubaogup Ingi' Baby Hippo Mudeong, Trademark and Patent Registered... Viewing Time Limited to 5 Minutes

Zoo officials: "Purpose is to prevent commercial use"
Proceeds will be used to improve animal welfare

The baby hippo 'Mudeung' is gaining explosive popularity in Thailand, and Mudeung's character trademark and patent rights have been registered. Various official merchandise (goods) will soon be available for sale.

Mudeng, born last July at Khao Kheow Zoo in Thailand. [Image source=YouTube channel 'Bangkok Post']

On the 22nd, the Bangkok Post and others reported that the Khao Kheow Zoo in Pattaya, Chonburi Province, Thailand, registered the trademark and patent rights for the baby hippo 'Mudeung' with the Department of Intellectual Property. The zoo plans to sell goods such as shirts and pants featuring Mudeung's face both online and offline as early as next week. Additionally, through Line, the most widely used messenger in Thailand, stickers (emoticons), stamps, bottled water, and other products will also be sold in the future.

Narongwit Chotchoi, director of Khao Kheow Zoo, told the American weekly magazine Time, "This is a measure to prevent people unrelated to the zoo from commercially exploiting Mudeung," adding, "The proceeds will be used to improve the lives of all the animals living in the zoo."

Deng surprised by the water sprayed by the caretaker, opening its mouth wide, and playing together while interacting with the caretaker became a hot topic on social networking services (SNS). [Image source=YouTube channel 'Bangkok Post']

Mudeung was born at Khao Kheow Zoo last July. The name 'Mudeung' means 'springy pork meatball' in Thai. Mudeung's name was decided by a vote of over 20,000 people. Mudeung became a hot topic on social media for moments such as opening his mouth wide in surprise at the water sprayed by the caretaker and playing together while interacting with the caretaker. Fan art is pouring in from around the world, and a cosmetics brand even released a blush inspired by Mudeung's cheek color in stores across Thailand.

Thanks to Mudeung's popularity, the number of tourists visiting Khao Kheow Zoo has surged. On weekdays, the number of visitors increased from about 800 to over 4,000, and on weekends, from about 3,000 to around 10,000, a 3 to 5 times increase. Due to the overwhelming crowds, the viewing time per person was limited to 5 minutes. Furthermore, the zoo provides a 24-hour live broadcast via closed-circuit television (CCTV) for fans who cannot visit to see Mudeung.

Mudeung is a pygmy hippopotamus, with an adult body weight about one-eighth that of a common hippo, ranging from 180 to 280 kg. It mainly inhabits the West African region, but the number of individuals in the wild is estimated to be fewer than 3,000. It is classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).