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Moo Deng, the baby hippopotamus from Thailand, is going viral on social media. The playful hippo is enchanting millions.
Moo Deng: all about the animal internet star
On July 10, 2024, Moo Deng the hippo was born at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand. Since then, the world has been unable to get enough of the clumsy baby hippo with the funny facial expressions, and the number of visitors to the zoo has doubled.
- Countless memes: In August 2024, a photo of the pygmy hippo girl was shared on social media – and Moo Deng became a social media phenomenon. Since then, there have been tons of videos, photos and memes of the two-month-old internet star with the big eyes on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube.
- The pictures show the baby animal cuddling, eating or playing with water. Among other things, a photo of Moo Deng being lifted by a zoo keeper, opening her mouth in slight outrage, became very popular. There are Moo Deng T-shirts, stuffed animals and other merchandise. They can be purchased at the zoo or online.
- Name: Moo Deng is a bouncy pig, which means a hopping pig. The name was chosen in a Facebook poll with over 20,000 participants. It reflects the energetic nature of the baby animal. Moo Deng is also the name of a typical street food dish in Thailand made with roasted pork belly.
- High visitor numbers: The zoo has limited visits to the enclosure to five minutes per visitor. There is one morning and one afternoon visit. The Khao Kheow Open Zoo is about 100 km southeast of Bangkok. The resort of Pattaya is also not far away. Up to 12,000 visitors came per day. A limit was required.
- Livestream and security cameras: To meet the interest in Moo Deng and not to neglect the animal welfare, the baby hippo has a 24-hour livestream. Some zoo visitors threw something into the enclosure to wake up Moo Deng. Since then, security cameras have been installed so that any offenders can be legally prosecuted.
Baby animals in the zoo: From an animal welfare perspective
Some animal rights activists are calling for a boycott of the Thai zoo because they condemn the hype surrounding Moo Deng and other baby animals.
- Animal rights organizations like PETA want to draw attention to the fact that animals do not belong in zoos. Their natural habitat is the wild. They are not there for entertainment. Even children’s books deal with a responsible approach to the environment and animals. This is how future generations can do better than previous ones.
- You get the impression that baby animals like Moo Deng often seek the protection of their mother. The many people scare them away. The funny videos and memes disguise the animals’ captivity. Baby animals and zoo animals in general are only ever kept within their enclosure. They will not be able to live in freedom.
- Pygmy hippos are an endangered species because their habitat is being destroyed. They are also hunted for their meat. In addition to conservation projects, zoos also protect endangered species from a conservation perspective
- The hype surrounding Moo Deng and other baby animals such as Knut the polar bear at the Berlin Zoo and Pesto, a penguin chick from Australia, indirectly draws attention to the need for animal protection. Their plight shows that the destruction of the environment and biodiversity, along with factory farming, must be stopped on a much larger scale.
