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Who Is Moo-Deng The Baby Hippo? The Story Of The Adorable Thai Pygmy Hippopotamus That Took Over The Internet
An adorable baby hippo by the name of "Moo-Deng" has been taking over the internet lately, conquering hearts with her cuteness and hilarious expressions alike.
But who is Moo-Deng, where was she born and where can you find more pictures and videos of her? Additionally, how are people featuring the cute animal in things like memes and fan art online?
Find out everything we know about Moo-Deng and her lore in our explainer.
Who Is Moo-Deng the Baby Hippo?
Moo-Deng is a female pygmy hippo who was born at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand on July 10th, 2024, which makes her just two months old as of September 2024. The cute baby hippopotamus currently lives in the zoo together with her mother, Jona.
Baby Moo-Deng is the seventh baby hippo born to her parents, and among her siblings is Moo Toon, another superstar of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo.
Moo-Deng's sudden virality both online and offline has led to the zoo limiting the time visitors can spend seeing Moo-Deng hanging out in her enclosure to only five minutes on Saturdays and Sundays.
How Did Moo-Deng Became Viral?
Moo-Deng's viral popularity was sparked by a photograph of the baby hippo looking like it's screaming as it was being picked up by her caretaker, which the zoo shared on its X / Twitter account on August 26th, 2024.
Then, on September 5th, artist @saart_tanis posted a fan art of the hippo based on the photograph that has since been seen over 9 million times on X alone.
The image of Moo-Deng being sprayed with water from a hose and looking like it's screaming has since gone particularly viral on social media, inspiring artists in Thailand and beyond to draw cute fan art of the hippopotamus.
As Moo-Deng and her unforgettable facial expressions started to go viral, the zoo quickly realized that and started posting even more photographs and videos of the baby hippo.
What Does Moo-Deng's Name Mean?
In Thai, Moo-Deng's name is หมูเด้ง, which literally translates to "bouncy pork," with "moo" meaning "pork" or "pig" and "deng" meaning "bouncing" or "to bounce."
More specifically, "moo dang" is a classic Thai soup-like dish that consists of sliced pork or ground pork rolled in a ball served in hot broth together with other ingredients.
Therefore Moo-Deng is named after a type of soup made from pork, and there is even fan art reflecting this interesting piece of Moo-Deng's lore.
What Are Moo-Deng's Social Media Accounts?
While Moo-Deng does not have her own official media accounts, Khao Kheow Open Zoo has been uploading videos and photographs of the playful hippo to its X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts, with the latter reaching over 2.7 million followers as of mid-September 2024.
For the full history of Moo-Deng the Baby Hippo, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
