Every once in a while, an animal so adorable is born that the entire world loses their mind—and that’s exactly what happened two months ago at one zoo in Thailand. Khao Kheow Open Zoo is home to Moo Deng, the adorable baby hippo whose silly antics transformed her into an overnight sensation.
Moo Deng is a two-month-old pygmy hippo, who lives in Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi. All hell broke loose after zookeeper Atthapon Nundee started sharing her videos online, boosting the number of zoo visitors to 10,000 in a single weekend, while also transforming her into a true pop culture icon.
Moo Deng’s name means “bouncy pork” in Thai and it was chosen through an online poll, marking the start of her rise to prominence. There’s already a crypto coin named after her, Bowen Yang dressed up as her in a recent episode of Saturday Night Live, and the zoo is planning to give her a 24/7 live stream.
Moo Deng’s popularity attracted so many people to the zoo that the authorities had to do crowd control and warn visitors not to throw objects and water at the hippo in an attempt to attract her attention. Toys and fan art inspired by Moo Deng are showing up all around Thailand and beyond, bringing attention to her vulnerable and elusive species, Choeropsis liberiensis, which is listed as endangered.