Carrying an aura of cuteness like no other baby pigmy hippopotamus, two-month-old Moo-Deng is drawing in more traffic to Thailand's Khao Kheow Open Zoo than ever before.
I would kill and die to protect Moo Deng, KILL AND DIE. pic.twitter.com/eANH6EW9QD
— aaron (@aaronoleary) September 13, 2024
Moo Deng, Thai for "bouncing pig," catapulted to fame when videos of the bouncy bovine went viral on social media just around two weeks ago. Many of the videos were filmed by her keeper, Atthapon Nundee, who captured some of their interactions, particularly when Moo Deng's rubbery hippo body bounces when reacting to the keepers' touch.
"I've been filming her from day one till day 15 and I pushed out that clip that got over 20 million views. "I expected that she would gain some fame but I didn't expect she'd be this famous," Atthapon told Reuters on Monday.
Moo Deng's TikTok account now has 2.6 million followers, and her fame has grown way beyond the walls of her enclosure, where she has inspired artwork and confectionary creations by die-hard fans. Recently, cosmetics retailer Sephora Thailand started featuring Moo Deng in promotions for blush products with the tagline "Wear your blush like a baby hippo."
According to the zoo's director, Narungwit Chodchoy, the zoo currently sees 3-4,000 visitors per weekday, in contrast to the usually modest number of around 800 at this time of year. And for weekends, they're getting around 10,000 per day, as opposed to the usual 4-5,000.
Moo Deng in Movie #หมูเด้ง #khaokheowzoo
Cr. เพจ Thai Poster : parody pic.twitter.com/zgqJWNOp2t
— สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว Khao Kheow Open Zoo (@kkopzoo) September 16, 2024
On Monday, dozens of fans were crowding around Moo Deng's enclosure to glimpse the baby hippo celebrity. "I left home in Bangkok from 6:30 AM this morning to see Moo Deng. I'm here just to see her," said Ekaphak Mahasawad, a tourist from Bangkok.
The pink-cheeked baby hippo was born with two other siblings, the Thai names of which translate to "Pork Stew" and "Sweet Pork." She is also the granddaughter of 59-year-old female hippo "Malee" who just celebrated her birthday at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo and is Thailand's oldest hippo in captivity.
