Current:Home > InvestWho's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet -Streamline Finance
Who's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet
View
Date:2025-04-12 09:38:10
Oh, baby! A little hippo in Thailand has taken the internet by storm, becoming a viral sensation and even inspiring Sephora to post about blushes that will make people "blush like a baby hippo."
Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippopotamus at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in eastern Thailand about two hours from Bangkok, has the internet and the world in a chokehold with her chubby, pink cheeks, tummy rolls and adorable expressions.
The two-month-old, whose name means "bouncing pig" in Thai, has millions of fans on social media following her clumsy adventures, including trying to nibble her handler despite not having teeth.
Who is Moo Deng?
Moo Deng was born on June 10, to mother Jona, 25 and father Tony, 24, with two other siblings Pork Stew and Sweet Pork at the zoo in Chonburi, NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, reported. She is the seventh child born to the hippo couple and is also the sibling of Moo Toon, another famous hippo, Pattaya Mail reported. Moo Deng is also the granddaughter of Thailand's oldest hippo, Malee, who recently celebrated her 59th birthday. The median life expectancy of pygmy hippos is 27 years, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Pygmy hippopotamuses are a small breed of hippopotamus that are native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. They are known to be solitary and nocturnal but can sometimes be found in small family groups. Adults grow up to two and half to three feet high and around five feet in length, weighing between 350-600 pounds. Pygmy hippos are now classified as endangered, the alliance said, with possibly less than 3,000 individuals remaining in their native habitat.
Zoo draws thousands of visitors
Moo Deng's internet-fame has also translated into real life celebrity fame with the zoo drawing thousands of visitors, who visit every day just to get a glimpse of her.
Director of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo Narungwit Chodchoy told Reuters the zoo normally gets around 800 visitors on any given day during the rainy season, "which is a low season." After Moo Deng catapulted to fame, the zoo is now getting 3,000 to 4,000 people on weekdays, and welcomed almost 20,000 visitors over the weekend, Chodchoy said, adding that most of them came just to see Moo Deng.
"Moo Deng fever means we will have organize better so all visitors can see her," Narungwit told the media outlet.
Narungwit has also issued strict orders against those who bother Moo Deng after videos of visitors throwing water and shells on the baby pygmy were shared to social media, according to Pattaya Mail. Staff presence has also been increased during peak hours and surveillance cameras have also been installed.
Moo Deng: 'A lifestyle icon'
Moo Deng has inspired several advertisements including by Sephora Thailand and the NBA's Utah Jazz, with internet users referring to her as a 'lifestyle icon."
Contributing: Reuters, Maria Francis, USA TODAY NETWORK
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
veryGood! (94)
Related
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Michael Strahan's 19-Year-Old Daughter Isabella Details Battle With Brain Cancer
- Google should pay a multibillion fine in antitrust shopping case, an EU court adviser says
- Ship in Gulf of Oman boarded by ‘unauthorized’ people as tensions are high across Mideast waterways
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- These Are the Key Winter Fashion Trends You Need to Know Now, According to Amazon Influencers
- These Best Dressed Stars at the Emmys Deserve a Standing Ovation for Their Award-Worthy Style
- DeSantis and Haley jockey for second without Trump and other takeaways from Iowa GOP debate
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- $100M will be left for Native Hawaiian causes from the estate of an heiress considered last princess
Ranking
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick Leaving Team After 24 Seasons
- Fewer police officers died in the line of duty in 2023, but 'scary number' were shot: Study
- Calm down, don't panic: Woman buried in deadly Palisades avalanche describes her rescue
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Alaska Airlines cancels all flights on the Boeing 737 Max 9 through Saturday
- Horoscopes Today, January 11, 2024
- 'Lunar New Year Love Story' celebrates true love, honors immigrant struggles
Recommendation
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
Jennifer Lawrence recalls 'stressful' wedding, asking Robert De Niro to 'go home'
Blood tests can help diagnose Alzheimer's — if they're accurate enough. Not all are
DeSantis and Haley jockey for second without Trump and other takeaways from Iowa GOP debate
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
US consumer inflation pressures may have eased further in December
213 deaths were caused by Japan’s New Year’s quake. 8 happened in the alleged safety of shelters
Illegal tunnel under a synagogue in NYC is 60 feet long and destabilized nearby buildings, city says