Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province has applied to the Intellectual Property Department for trademark certification for the zoo’s iconic Moo Deng pygmy hippo calf and is awaiting approval, Zoo’s director Narongwit Chodchoi said today.
The zoo is also offering an opportunity for creative individuals to design a logo and related symbols for Moo Deng, to be used as the zoo’s official trademark.
Moo Deng, a three-month-old calf, whose fame has gone viral globally, is at the centre of this initiative, he added.
According to the regulations, tourists can take photos and draw pictures of Moo Deng at their discretion, but anyone violating a certified trademark could be subject to legal action, risking a fine of up to 800,000 baht and/or a prison term of up to four years, he said.
Merchandise related to Moo Deng already includes pillows, pyjamas, dolls, clothes, baked goods and Line stickers.
Moo Deng fever has led to an increase in tourist numbers at the zoo in Chonburi province.
Before July, when the calf was born, approximately 70,000 tourists visited the zoo. That increased to 84,000 in July, 98,000 in August and 162,000 in September.
The director added that he expects the number this month, when schools are on a break, could reach 210,000, or about 7,000 per day.
