A tiny, baby pygmy hippopotamus named Moo Deng, born in Thailand's Khao Kheow Open Zoo, has stolen hearts worldwide due to her playful personality and dramatic expressions. At just two months old, Moo Deng has made headlines for her "screaming face" reactions, which she often puts on show while being carried, sprayed with water, or just lazying around.
Now, the viral star, born on July 10, will be given her very own 24-hour live feed, allowing the world to tune in whenever anyone needs a dose of cuteness. A poll online christened the baby Moo Deng, which translates to bouncy pork in Thai. Her siblings are Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork).
Fans say Moo Deng is a "little lump" they can "ball up and swallow."
The zookeeper, Atthapon Nundee, has been uploading adorable clips of the baby pygmy and all the other animals at the zoo for about five years now. Little did he know that this little bouncy pork would someday propel the zoo to fame. People have been pouring in from near and far to catch glimpses of the notorious "screaming face" expression.
The zoo is located about 60 miles southeast of Bangkok, the country's capital. The juvenile pygmy hippo lives in a pit with her mom, Jona, who is 25 years old, and her father, Tony, who is 24 years old. She's one of seven children.
In response to the growing attention, Atthapon told The Associated Press,
“It was beyond expectation. I wanted people to know her. I wanted a lot of people to visit her, or watch her online, or leave fun comments. I never would’ve thought (of this).”
One fan, Areeya Sripanya, told the outlet after a trip to the zoo,
“She’s such a little lump. I want to ball her up and swallow her whole!”
The little creature has also caught the attention of more well-known brands, such as the Utah Jazz and Sephora Thailand, both of which made Moo Deng-related content.
However, the sudden rise in attention has culminated in troubles for the zoo, such as increased incidents of wrongful behavior. People have reportedly been pouring water and throwing objects at the baby pygmy. In light of this, zoo officials have enacted a 5-minute viewing time for all on the weekends.
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The TikTok account showcasing all the zoo animals has been focusing on giving the world more Moo Deng content. At the time of this article's writing, it had about 2.7 million followers. The videos of the juvenile pygmy hippo have also been generating millions of views online.
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