PUBLISHED: 13 Oct 2024 at 20:34
Over 30,000 visitors flocked to Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri during the recent long weekend, benefiting from waived admission fees for children under 12 and seniors over 60 in honor of King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great’s Memorial Day.
Zoo director Narongwit Chodcoy noted that the surge in attendance was largely driven by the newfound fame of Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus calf, which has become a major attraction.
Prior to Moo Deng’s rise to stardom, the zoo attracted approximately 600-700 visitors daily. This changed dramatically on Saturday, with over 10,000 guests eager to see the popular calf and other animals, leading to significant queues and traffic congestion that extended several kilometers from the entrance.
By 9 a.m. on Sunday, a three-kilometer traffic jam formed as excited visitors traveled from across the country to experience the zoo.
Krittanan Prempreeda from Samut Sakhon shared that he departed for the zoo at 3 a.m. but encountered a large crowd by the time he arrived at 7 a.m.
The free admission on Sunday was a tribute to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, a national observance on October 13 each year.
In addition, Khao Kheow Open Zoo announced that Moo Deng-themed T-shirts are available for purchase at the zoo until Monday, noting that they are not sold online.
Moo Deng, born on July 10, quickly became a sensation with her keepers regularly sharing her adventures on social media, capturing the hearts of animal lovers everywhere.
