Nature
PUBLISHED
She might only be two months old, but viral pygmy hippo sensation Moo Deng from the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand has already established herself as the “It Girl” of the zoo animal world.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.Moo Deng was born on July 10 to parents Jona and Tony and introduced to her ever-growing legions of fans on the 25th via the zoo’s social media. Her name roughly translated means “bouncy pig” and was chosen by a poll held on the zoo’s Facebook page in which around 20,000 people voted.
Moo Deng also has two siblings Moo Wan, which means "sweet pork", and Moo Tun, which is "stewed pork". Since her rise to fame began, Moo Deng and the zoo's other species have amassed more than 2.5 million followers on their TikTok account as well as fans who follow her daily antics on Facebook and Instagram.
Despite spending much of her time sleeping, eating, and seemingly biting at her zookeepers, Moo Deng's popularity has only grown. Fans are clamoring for more Moo Deng content with the Thai branch of the make-up company Sephora even getting involved by using Moo Deng to promote blusher. Her peachy pink complexion has only increased her popularity, with a bakery in Bangkok even creating Moo Deng themed lookalike cakes.
Pygmy hippos in the wild live in isolated pockets across west Africa with around 2,000 individuals remaining. They are classed as endangered by the IUCN Red List.
Secretive and nocturnal, little is known about their ecology but they are thought to spend much of their time in swampy wetlands feeding on plants and other vegetation.
Gestation in pygmy hippos takes around 188 days and the calves are already between 4.5 and 6.2 kilograms (8.8 and 13 pounds) when they are born. While they might be called “pygmy” hippos, the adults can still weigh around 250 kilograms (551 pounds), though not nearly as much as the larger hippopotamus.
Moo Deng is drawing in so many followers that the zoo is even concerned for her safety with those visiting her warned to behave. Typically, the zoo has around 700-800 visitors a weekday but the weekend numbers have reached between 6,000-7,000 visitors. Videos have even emerged that show visitors throwing things at her and trying to wake her up by splashing water at her.
“These behaviours are not only cruel but also dangerous,” the director of Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Narongwit Chodchoi, said in a statement. “We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.”
However, the popularity of Moo Deng shows no sign of slowing down, reports suggest that the zoo might even be setting up a 24 hour live feed of Moo Deng.
