A baby hippo known as 'Moo Deng' has been creating quite a buzz in Thailand. The two-month-old female pygmy hippo has attracted large crowds to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo near Pattaya.
Since her birth in July, visitor numbers at the zoo have reportedly doubled. However, the zoo's director Narongwit Chodchoi had called for visitors to act responsibly, following reports of the animal being mistreated in videos.
Her name loosely translates to "bouncy pig" or “pork patty.” The zoo director condemned the mistreatment of the pygmy hippo, emphasizing that such actions are both cruel and dangerous. He stressed the importance of protecting these animals and ensuring they have a safe and comfortable environment.
Social media videos have reportedly shown visitors throwing shellfish and splashing water on Moo Deng to wake her. In response, the zoo has installed CCTV cameras around the enclosures and warned of potential legal action against those who mistreat the pygmy hippo. Her small size and plump shape have generated a strong online following. One X user wrote:
“i’m obsessed with moo deng i’ve been thinking about this queen all day long.”
Khao Kheow Open Zoo has leveraged the excitement surrounding the pygmy hippo. Reportedly, 128 of the zoo’s last 150 social media posts have featured Moo Deng since her birth.
Additionally, a variety of merchandise, including a hippo-themed shirt and pants set, is now available for purchase both at the zoo and online.
Baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng is an ‘icon’ and a ‘legend’
A report by Time Magazine on September 14 described the viral hippo as an 'icon' and a 'legend', who is truly defining the moment. Her every move is now carefully observed, with each new photo of her being widely circulated. Her naturally radiant glow has become a source of both envy and inspiration, sparking fan art and makeup tutorials alike.
With Moo Deng's soaring popularity, the zoo's social media presence has transformed into fan accounts for her. With over 50,000 followers on X and more than 400,000 on Facebook, and their hippos and capybaras-focused accounts amassing over 200,000 followers on Instagram and 2 million on TikTok, the zoo now regularly shares updates on her every move to satisfy her worldwide fanbase.
The baby hippo is almost always seen eating, sleeping, or displaying her dramatic flair and her antics have been dubbed a “lifestyle icon.” She has allegedly inspired countless fan art and both the Thai Embassy in Tokyo and Sephora Thailand have embraced her, with the latter even offering blush recommendations to replicate the baby hippo’s rosy, cherubic cheeks.
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The hippo is not the only one at Khao Kheow Open Zoo. The zoo celebrated the 59th birthday of Mae Mali, Thailand's oldest female hippo. Mae Mali reportedly weighs two tonnes. However, pygmy hippos like Moo Deng grow to a much smaller size, around 500 pounds.
Pygmy hippos, also known as dwarf hippos, are native to West Africa and are classified as "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with fewer than 3,000 believed to remain in the wild.
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