Current:Home > FinanceWho's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet -ProgressCapital
Who's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet
View
Date:2025-04-15 02:05:37
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 sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
veryGood! (4337)
Related
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Police search the European Parliament over suspected Russian interference, prosecutors say
- Cassie supporters say Diddy isn't a 'real man.' Experts say that response isn't helpful.
- Polish man sentenced to life in Congo on espionage charges has been released and returned to Europe
- Small twin
- A group of armed men burns a girls’ school in northwest Pakistan, in third such attack this month
- House Ethics Committee investigating indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar
- BM of KARD talks solo music, Asian representation: 'You need to feel liberated'
- Daughter of Utah death row inmate navigates complicated dance of grief and healing before execution
- Where Alexander “A.E.” Edwards and Travis Scott Stand After Altercation in Cannes
Ranking
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Officer who arrested Scottie Scheffler criticizes attorney but holds ‘no ill will’ toward golfer
- Owner of UK’s Royal Mail says it has accepted a takeover offer from a Czech billionaire
- The love in Bill Walton's voice when speaking about his four sons was unforgettable
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Ohio attorney general must stop blocking proposed ban on police immunity, judges say
- Stock market today: Asian shares track Wall Street’s retreat
- A woman will likely be Mexico’s next president. But in some Indigenous villages, men hold the power
Recommendation
Elon Musk’s Daughter Vivian Calls Him “Absolutely Pathetic” and a “Serial Adulterer”
Roberto Clemente's sons sued for allegedly selling rights to MLB great's life story to multiple parties
Vermont police conclude case of dead baby more than 40 years later and say no charges will be filed
UN chief cites the promise and perils of dizzying new technology as ‘AI for Good’ conference opens
9/11 hearings at Guantanamo Bay in upheaval after surprise order by US defense chief
A flurry of rockets will launch from Florida's Space Coast this year. How to watch Friday
Dortmund seals sponsorship deal with arms manufacturer ahead of Champions League final
Brazil’s president withdraws his country’s ambassador to Israel after criticizing the war in Gaza