Current:Home > MarketsWho's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet -WealthTrack
Who's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet
View
Date:2025-04-17 19:11:37
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! (7)
Related
- 'Most Whopper
- Names of Elon Musk and Shivon Zilis' Twins Revealed
- 'Goosebumps' returns with new TV series beginning on Oct. 13: Where to watch
- U.S. Open women's semifinal match delayed by environmental protest
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Lions spoil Chiefs’ celebration of Super Bowl title by rallying for a 21-20 win in the NFL’s opener
- Florida Supreme Court begins hearing abortion-ban case, could limit access in Southeast
- Panama to increase deportations in face of record migration through the Darien Gap
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- When is Apple event 2023? How to watch livestream, date, start time, what to expect
Ranking
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- The operation could start soon to rescue a sick American researcher 3,000 feet into a Turkish cave
- Alabama woman gets a year in jail for hanging racially offensive dolls on Black neighbors’ fence
- Trump's Georgia co-defendants may have millions in legal expenses — who will foot the bill?
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- UK police call in bomb squad to check ‘suspicious vehicle’ near Channel Tunnel
- 'Actual human skull' found in Goodwill donation box believed to be 'historic,' not a crime
- Country music star Zach Bryan arrested in Oklahoma: 'I was out of line'
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
Apple, drugs, Grindr
Pelosi says she’ll run for reelection in 2024 as Democrats try to win back House majority
Horoscopes Today, September 7, 2023
'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
Cher reveals cover of first-ever Christmas album: 'Can we say Merry Chermas now?'
Why is the current housing market so expensive? Blame the boomers, one economist says.
Finland’s center-right government survives no-confidence vote over 2 right-wing ministers