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Here’s Why Moo Deng the Pygmy Hippo Is Everyone’s Favorite Animal Right Now

by mymodernmet

There are two kinds of animals the internet tends to fall in love with—the cute and the relatable. In a wonderful twist of fate, a tiny animal has encompassed both qualities perfectly, becoming an overnight sensation around the world. This is the story of Moo Deng, a female baby pygmy hippo that the world can’t stop sharing pictures of, making fan art of, and talking about.

Moo Deng was born at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, and is just 2 months old. Her name means “bouncy pig” (which is also the name of a Thai dish) and it barely does justice to her charming personality. So far, the zoo staff has posted pictures of Moo Deng getting bathed, taking naps, harmlessly biting her handlers’ legs, smiling at the camera, and simply hanging around.

“The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad. I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally,” Atthapon Nundee, a zookeeper at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, told The Guardian. “She is called ‘bouncy’ and she is quite ‘bouncy’ too.” The little hippo also seems damp, and shiny all the time, bringing out the purple and pink tones of her skin.

Moo Deng has become a celebrity, with hundreds visiting the zoo to get a glimpse at her. “Most of the time she is sleeping,” Atthapon adds, explaining that she behaves like a human baby would. “She only has milk from mom, she doesn’t eat anything else besides milk.” The baby gets a ton of rest, and soon will be able to start eating grass. For the time being, she likes imitating her mom eating by chomping on air.

For all the cute squishiness of Moo Deng, her species is highly threatened. The pygmy hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis), native to West Africa, is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and 30 years ago there were thought to be 2,000 to 2,500 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild. That’s why the work that zoos have done around them is key. “I hope that the cuteness of Moo-Deng will raise awareness for people to come and learn about [the species],” Atthapon says.

To stay up to date with Moo Deng’s bouncy adventures, make sure to follow Khao Kheow Open Zoo on Instagram—though, to be honest, she’s so cute that she’ll probably continue to pop up on your social media feeds for the foreseeable future.

Meet Moo Deng—the internet’s latest cute animal celebrity.

Moo Deng was born at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, and is just 2 months old.

Her name means “bouncy pig” (which is also the name of a Thai dish) and it barely does justice to her charming personality.

The zoo staff has posted pictures of Moo Deng getting bathed, taking naps, harmlessly biting her handlers’ legs, smiling at the camera, and simply hanging around.

Moo Deng is so cute that she has fan art made by several artists.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Ida (@afternoon_fika)

Khao Kheow Open Zoo: Instagram

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