[imagesource:instagram/khamoo.andthegang]

“What a time to be alive,” the viral baby hippo Moo Deng is definitely always thinking.

The unbearably adorable two-month-old baby pygmy hippopotamus at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi Province in Thailand has wriggled her way into the hearts of millions on the internet with her feisty antics and seemingly permanently petrified expression.

Folks on social media can’t get enough of her screaming face; which she exhibits when being sprayed with water, when being carried by zookeepers, or simply while lying on the ground.

Moo Deng STUNS in new photos https://t.co/Xmyp7cFhcp

— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) September 9, 2024

TIME Magazine did a whole profile piece on the devastatingly adorable hippo, noting how ‘She’s an Icon, She’s a Legend, and She Is the Moment’ in the headline.

Every move she makes is closely watched, each new photo taken of her widely shared and fervently discussed. Her effortlessly dewy glow is the subject of envy and inspiration for fanart and makeup tutorials. Moo Deng, of Thailand, is not your typical A-list celebrity, but she’s certainly being treated like one.

The mag might just make Moo the cover face of the year at this rate.

She’s an Icon, She’s a Legend, and She Is the Moment. Meet Viral Baby Hippo Moo Deng #หมูเด้ง #khaokheowzoo pic.twitter.com/NYKDdX4wjK

— สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว Khao Kheow Open Zoo (@kkopzoo) September 13, 2024

Moo Deng was unveiled to the public on July 25 after being born 15 days prior. Her name, which roughly translates to “bouncy pig” or “pork patty,” by various interpretations, was chosen by a popular vote held by the zoo.

LOOK AT MOO GO:

I WAS NOT EATING SAND pic.twitter.com/at2qFAqeO9

— hope hopes hoping (@hopes_revenge) September 12, 2024

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH pic.twitter.com/IF1aDKgcuC

— hope hopes hoping (@hopes_revenge) September 12, 2024

BUT MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM pic.twitter.com/cxubCWuhUi

— hope hopes hoping (@hopes_revenge) September 8, 2024

Since then, fully aware of her undeniable star power, Moo Deng’s zookeepers have diligently shared a steady stream of photos, videos, and memes featuring the adorable baby hippo. As Moo Deng’s fame skyrocketed, the zoo’s social media accounts—boasting over 50,000 followers on X and more than 400,000 on Facebook—have transformed into devoted Moo Deng fan pages. With dedicated accounts for its hippos and capybaras amassing over 200,000 followers on Instagram and a staggering 2 million on TikTok, updates on her every adorable move are eagerly anticipated by her adoring fans worldwide.

 

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A post shared by ขาหมู แอนด์เดอะแก๊ง (@khamoo.andthegang)

@khamoo.andthegang น้องใหม่ครับ #hippo #ขาหมูแอนด์เดอะแก๊ง ♬ dilemma – Galuh

Folks can’t get enough, myself included.

Obsessed with this one baby hippo that looks fucking MORTIFIED pic.twitter.com/0fE6BB5Kju

— Rel (RobotFucker) (@DewEnjoyer) September 6, 2024

毎日見てるだけです #หมูเด้ง pic.twitter.com/mv4PIpJTH8

— สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว Khao Kheow Open Zoo (@kkopzoo) September 11, 2024

Moo Deng is almost always eating, sleeping, or being dramatic, and has been hailed as a ‘lifestyle icon’ and an unlikely ‘It Girl’ for it, amassing endless fanart and forthcoming merch from the zoo.

#หมูเด้ง
pic.twitter.com/vVIcPLcLn9

— おねねちゃん (@OneneChan) September 12, 2024

ใกล้แล้วๆ กดติดตามกันไว้นะ
ผอ.#เสื้ยสวย #หมูเด้ง pic.twitter.com/1n6bnTlocw

— สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว Khao Kheow Open Zoo (@kkopzoo) September 12, 2024

 

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A post shared by Sephora Thailand (@thaisephora)

I 100% would buy.

Native to western Africa, pygmy hippos are an endangered species, with only about 2,000 of them remaining in the wild. At least Moo Deng is giving her species the limelight they deserve. Since going viral, visitors to Khao Kheow Open Zoo have more than doubled, with those flocking to see the baby hippo described as a “fan club.”

แฟนคลับน้องหมูเด้ง pic.twitter.com/yXceecOuuB

— สวนสัตว์เปิดเขาเขียว Khao Kheow Open Zoo (@kkopzoo) August 30, 2024

Granted, the zoo certainly needs to implement better safety measures to protect the animal, as visitors brazenly disturb her – squirting her with water and even throwing bananas and shellfish at the poor creature to get her attention.

On Thursday, Narongwit Chodchoi, the director of Khao Kheow Open Zoo, urged visitors to refrain from throwing things at Moo Deng, adding that the zoo has installed surveillance cameras in the area and would consider legal action against uncooperative humans.

[source:time]