Scots sculptor donates famous 'hostage' coffee table to Cincinnati Zoo’s Fiona the Hippo's birthday charity raffle

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A renowned Ayrshire artist is helping to mark the birthday of the world’s most famous hippo in aid of dyslexia.Monday, January 24 is the fifth birthday of Cincinnati Zoo’s star resident Fiona the Hippo, who is known globally for defying the odds after she was born six months premature weighing just 29 pounds.

Sculptor Mark Stoddart, 57, from Turnberry, will be giving away his ‘Hostage Hippo’ coffee table to one lucky attendee at Fiona's virtual birthday party – with proceeds aiding a dyslexia school in Kenya.Mark’s limited edition hippo coffee table made headlines in 2014 when it was held hostage by a hotel in Troon.He had loaned the coffee table to the hotel nine years before, but when the hotel fell into financial difficulty and was listed for sale, Mark requested the table back in order to avoid it being passed on as ‘fixtures and fittings’.But the hotel flatly refused – and Mark was left with no choice but to launch a campaign for the safe return of his work.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.The Ayrshire Post took on the case and eventually the table was returned.Now, in collaboration with Cincinnati Zoo, Mark is offering the chance for someone to win his world-famous ‘Hostage Hippo’ coffee table along with an original kiss painting from Fiona herself.Fiona will celebrate her fifth birthday tomorrow, and for a $5 birthday gift, anyone can receive an