Moo Deng, a two-month-old pygmy hippo living in the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand, has taken the internet by storm in recent weeks, garnering millions of views on social media and sparking an influx of zoogoers.

Rise to fame

Moo Deng was born in July and introduced to the public on Facebook in August. After she was born, the zoo conducted a poll allowing the public to choose her name. Moo Deng, which is a type of Thai meatball, literally translates to “bouncy pork.” She can be seen playfully hopping in her pen in her popular TikTok videos. One video featuring Moo Deng amassed over 33 million views and two million likes, turning her into a viral sensation. Since then, tens of thousands of visitors have come to see the baby hippo, leading to the zoo having to put up security cameras and come up with new solutions to regulate crowd sizes. Due to a large number of zoogoers, visitors are alloted five minutes to see her. After all, the baby hippo is only awake two hours a day. For those unable to see her in person, the Thai zoo has set up a 24/7 livestream of her enclosure. 

About the species

The pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) is the much smaller and much rarer relative of the common hippopotamus, but differs in behavior and physical characteristics. Found only in the interior forests of West Africa, the pygmy hippo is a tenth of the size of a common hippo. They are also less aquatically adept and have four webbed feet. Pygmy hippos like Moo Deng feast on a herbivorous diet of leaves, roots, ferns, and fruits. Moo Deng’s wet appearance is the result of the pygmy hippo excreting blood sweat, a pink fluid that helps protect her from the sun. The pygmy hippo is endangered, with less than 3,000 remaining worldwide.

Outcomes of her fame — make up, economy, merch:

The Time Magazine feature has become a main feature for the Khao Kheow Open Zoo. She is said to have quadrupled ticket sales, and her viewing area is always packed with visitors. However, her newfound popularity has brought about negativity as well. Some zoogoers have been seen splashing water and throwing things at Deng while she sleeps. Regardless of the adversity, her image has expanded into the fashion industry. Deemed “The Moment” by Vogue and mentioned in the New York Times’ style section, Deng’s wet look, with pink blush and gray eyeshadow, has taken off. Moo Deng merch is also sold in the Zoo, online, and throughout other companies, which even consists of shirts lettered, “Moo Deng for Vice-Vice President”.