Big Al may have to share the spotlight as the University’s favorite animal, because a 2-month-old pygmy hippo hailing from Thailand has captured the hearts of students over 9,000 miles away.
Moo Deng was born July 10 at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi and first unveiled to the public on July 25 through the zoo’s Instagram. She received her name in a public poll, with Moo Deng winning by 20,000 votes. Moo Deng roughly translates to “bouncing pork” and is also the name for a Thai dish.
The hilarious hippo would not achieve viral fame until a month later when a photo of her looking as if she was screaming while being lifted by a keeper received nearly five million views on the zoo’s social media. Her biggest claim to fame came soon after, when a video of her appearing horrified while being sprayed by a hose was uploaded online by her personal keeper.
@khamoo.andthegang ฮิปโปดารา #hippo ♬ 蜜桃物语 – 仁辰 & 于行
“The thing is that baby animals always have this effect. She just looks cute and she’s a unique animal,” said Bee Hydrick, a sophomore majoring in English.
Samuel Godwin, a sophomore majoring in creative media, first encountered Moo Deng through an Instagram reel. He said that he quickly became a fan of the hippo.
Moo Deng’s shocked expression quickly became viral, spawning fanart, memes and even merchandise. Sephora in Thailand recently used Moo Deng to market blush, and the Khao Kheow Open Zoo has since announced a shirt and pants depicting the baby hippo.
The zoo has seen visitor numbers reportedly double since Moo Deng first went viral, but this surge in attendance has also led to an increase in less-than-ideal behavior. On Sept. 12, the zoo’s director issued a statement reminding people to be respectful of Moo Deng after videos surfaced of guests pelting her with shellfish and water in an attempt to wake her. Zoo officials have also had to enforce a 5-minute window due to how crowded the hippo observation area has become.
Owen Dickerson, a freshman majoring in German, became familiar with Moo Deng after seeing a clip of her on Instagram. Dickerson said that although the baby hippo looked “really aggressive,” he found the video cute and intriguing.
“People don’t want to handle hippos because they’re really dangerous from what I understand, so I think it’s funny that they are popular,” Dickerson said.
Moo Deng’s 15 minutes of fame are only just beginning, as a clip of her personal keeper showing off Moo Deng’s new teeth has also quickly become popular.
“We love her and I can’t wait to see more of her content. She is precious, and we must protect her at all costs,” Godwin said.
