Moo Deng’s keeper named employee of the month

Atthapon “Benz” Nundee, the social media-savvy keeper who helped turn baby hippo Moo Deng into a global superstar, has been named the employee of the month for September by the Zoological Park Organization of Thailand.
The 3-month-old pygmy hippo at Khao Kheow Open Zoo has become a world-famous celebrity, with her name mentioned in countless online posts by global brands, sports teams and more. In the US, the Tonight Show even featured her in an unofficial presidential poll, which she won in a landslide.
The baby hippo’s stardom is due in large part to the online content created by her enthusiastic young keeper.
Benz has been posting pictures and videos of the animals residing in the Chon Buri zoo for many years, but it was Moo Deng who caught the eyes of international fans and became the star she is today.
“I would like to thank everyone who offered me this opportunity, as well as the people who liked and shared my posts,” he wrote on the Khamoo and the Gang Facebook page on Friday.
Many netizens replied that the recognition was richly deserved.