She’s adorable, she’s sassy, she’s occasionally violent- — she’s Moo Deng! Meet the Pygmy hippo who’s captured the world’s heart by biting knees and causing chaos in her home in Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo.
At just two months old, Moo Deng — translation: “Bouncy Pork” — has become a viral sensation, doubling visitor numbers for the zoo and earning her a cult-like online following. Not only is she cute, with rosy pink cheeks and a squishy face, she’s also quite naughty — throwing tantrums and aimlessly nipping at her zookeepers. After Khao Kheow Zoo began posting videos of the silly Hippo frolicking about and causing mayhem, the internet fell in love.
Moo Deng is a Pygmy Hippopotamus — not a Hippopotamus, so no, she won’t soon be rampaging in a 3000-pound frame. Native to West Africa, these hippos differ in size from their sister species, the Hippopotamus. On average, they weigh between 350-550 pounds and stand less than three feet tall. Classified as an endangered species, Moo Deng’s virality is not only entertaining, it is also helping bring awareness to the need to preserve this adorable species.
Less than 3000 Pygmy Hippos exist in the wild, with their species threatened by continued deforestation and illegal hunting for bushmeat and tusks. Moo Deng is just one of the many members of the Pygmy Hippo family — and her new-found fame may lead to continued efforts to conserve her species. Using soon-to-be-released merch developed by the Khao Kheow Zoo and a new 24/7 livestream of baby Moo Deng, the zoo hopes to invest earnings in breeding efforts to protect other Pygmies like Moo Deng.
Along with her virality, Moo Deng has had to face some of the consequences of fame, with some visitors coming to the zoo and throwing items at the baby Hippo (how dare they?). The zoo responded by installing CCTV, and limiting visiting slots to catch a glimpse of Moo Deng in all her feisty glory.
But, her global recognition has also earned her a spot on SNL with Bowen Yang impersonating her (while simultaneously impersonating Chappell Roan).
During her day-to-day life, Moo Deng can be found hanging out with her mom Jona (as she constantly eats) and even mimicking her behaviors, including pretending to munch on vegetables — which she is not yet old enough to do. Among many sweet moments of Moo Deng, there is an equal number of pure rampages from the little Hippo, who is seemingly constantly annoyed by her handlers. She loves to bite their knees and wildly thrash as they attempt to get control of her slippery frame.
@aeoy_pa พี่เลี้ยงแค่จะขอเกาเหนียงเอง #หมูเด้ง #hippo #PygmyHippo #ขาหมูแอนด์เดอะแก๊ง #หมูเด้งจะเด้งกี่โมง @ขาหมู แอนด์เดอะแก๊ง @สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว
♬ Huwaaa Gemoy – Dj Kampung
Taking the internet by storm, Moo Deng is the star of tons of edits, and even has her own makeup collaboration with beauty brand Sephora, who promoted their blushes with the slogan “wear your blush like a baby hippo.” Moo Deng’s lovable face along with her rambunctious personality make the perfect mix for an internet star.
Enjoying her hose baths and falling about her enclosure, Moo Deng has managed to create quite the ruckus by simply being her free-spirited, diva self. In many of her videos, the sassy little Hippo is either sleeping peacefully, sweetly accepting scratches, or causing a rampage — and that’s why we love her!
Moo Deng is not only a reminder of the duality of man as TikTok would say, but also the importance of supporting zoos who diligently work to promote breeding efforts to protect endangered species. And now with a 24/7 livestream, anyone can watch Moo Deng create chaos from all around the world.
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