A baby pygmy hippo living at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand continues to become a viral sensation.
The 2-month-old pygmy hippopotamus named Moo Deng was born in July, according to NBC News, and the internet has been in a frenzy since the zoo started sharing photos and videos of her.
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TODAY got a glimpse at the baby pygmy hippo in a segment that aired on Sept. 26, in which Moo Deng is seen sleeping, eating, walking around and playing in her enclosure — all while captivating her in-person and online fans.
The zoo sometimes gets 10,000 visitors a day since Moo Deng’s popularity took off, and her keeper told TODAY that while the baby pygmy hippo is likely unaware of her newfound fame, her mother, whose side Moo Deng rarely leaves, might be catching on.
“Moo Deng may not know (of her popularity), but her mom might be surprised as before it was quiet,” the keeper explained.
In the segment, Moo Deng can be seen trailing behind her mom and eating alongside her.
A video posted on TODAY’s official TikTok account also showed Moo Deng resting underneath her mom while a zookeeper poured some refreshing water on top of them.
After Moo Deng was born this summer, Khao Kheow Open Zoo started posting about Moo Deng on its Facebook, X and YouTube pages. It didn’t take long before users started resharing content of the pygmy hippo alongside adoring messages.
“Moo deng is a lifestyle icon and i need all of yall to get onboard,” one person wrote, listing out “inexplicably moist all the time,” “slightly blurry in most photos,” “probably screaming or sleeping” and “round” as reasons the baby hippo is worthy of attention.
“Moo Deng the most beautiful girl in the world,” another penned.
Even on the night of the Emmys on Sept. 15, fans were praising a picture of Moo Deng on X, which shows her photo shopped onto the red carpet.
“Moo deng stuns on the emmys red carpet,” the user wrote.
Sephora Thailand even posted about the pygmy hippopotamus through giving makeup tips inspired by Moo Deng.
“Wear your blush like a baby hippo,” the post from the retailer read.
Read on to learn more about Moo Deng, including what the baby pygmy hippo’s handlers are saying about her recent stardom.
What kind of hippo is Moo Deng?
Moo Deng is a pygmy hippo, a species that grows to only half the height of a hippopotamus and weighs less than a quarter of their weight, according to the Pygmy Hippo Foundation.
Pygmy hippos are native to West Africa but can also be found f Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Ivory Coast, reported the foundation.
At birth, newborn pygmy hippos weigh between 10 and 14 pounds, and they are weaned by the time they’re six to eight months old, according to Pygmy Hippo Foundation.
When was Moo Deng born?
Moo Deng was born in July, reported NBC News.
Is Moo Deng safe?
As much as the hippo has gained attention, officials say her popularity has raised concerns about her safety.
Some of Moo Deng’s visitors have tossed water and other objects at her, according to NBC News. In response to safety issues, on Sept. 15, the zoo announced that Moo Deng’s visitors would be limited to seeing her Saturdays and Sundays, with each visit capped at five minutes.
“These behaviors are not only cruel but also dangerous,” the zoo’s director Narongwit Chodchoi was quoted as saying by local media, per NBC News. “We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.”
Pygmy hippos are classified as endangered species, according to the Zoological Society of London. The Pygmy Hippo Foundation estimates that nearly 2,000 pygmy hippos remain in the wild, but their population is declining due to continued hunting for bushmeat.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
