Zookeepers have warned visitors not to abuse a two-month-old pygmy hippo that’s gained a cult following online for her “dewy glow”, feisty expressions and wobbly antics.
Called Moo Deng – a name which translates roughly as “bouncy pig” or “pork patty” – the endearing calf has won hearts across Asia since her birth was announced by a Thai zoo in July.
But viral fame has come at a cost.
This week, the director of Khao Kheow Open Zoo urged people to be kind to Moo Deng after videos emerged online of visitors harassing the baby hippo. Some were throwing shellfish at her and others splashing her with water as they attempted to wake her.
“These behaviours are not only cruel but also dangerous,” Narongwit Chodchoi said in a statement posted online. “We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.”
The zoo just outside the coastal city of Pattaya – where visitor numbers have doubled since Moo Deng’s birth – has installed CCTV cameras around the hippo’s enclosure and has said it would take legal action against anyone mistreating her.
The zoo’s regular updates about Moo Deng have triggered a wave of adoration and memes online, with posts dubbing the “chubby” little hippo a “lifestyle icon” racking up hundreds of thousands of likes and shares.
At least one cosmetics chain agreed. Sephora Thailand told its social media followers to “wear your blush like a baby hippo” in posts promoting blusher. Fans have also made cakes in her image, memes comparing her to Jesus, and stylised cartoons featuring bright eyes and rosy cheeks.
“She’s very energetic and her cute appearance is soothing,” the Royal Thai Embassy in Tokyo said on X after a Japanese TV crew visited the zoo to report on Moo Deng’s celebrity status.
The calf is a pygmy hippo, sometimes known as a dwarf hippo, which is native to West Africa but increasingly rare due to habitat loss. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the animal as endangered and experts estimate that there are fewer than 3,000 left in the wild.
Moo Deng lives in the Thai zoo with her siblings, whose names are also variations of popular pork dishes: Moo Wan (sweet pork), Pha Lor (pork belly stew) and Moo Tun (stewed pork).
