Current:Home > FinanceWho's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet -Wealth Navigators Hub
Who's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet
View
Date:2025-04-16 16:56:45
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! (5)
Related
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- China’s critics and allies have 45 seconds each to speak in latest UN review of its human rights
- California State University faculty launch weeklong strike across 23 campuses
- 2024 NFL draft order: Top 28 first-round selections set after divisional playoffs
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Mexico demands investigation into US military-grade weapons being used by drug cartels
- The Razzie nominations are out. Here's who's up for worst actor and actress.
- Beverly Hills, 90210 Actor David Gail's Cause of Death Revealed
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- New Mexico police discover explosive device, investigate second suspicious package
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Pennsylvania woman plans to use insanity defense in slaying, dismemberment of parents
- Manny Ellis' death prompts bid by lawmaker to ban hog-tying by police
- Rihanna Should Take a Bow for Her Reaction to Meeting One of the Hottest B---hes Natalie Portman
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Why diphtheria is making a comeback
- Kansas incurred $10 million in legal fees defending NCAA men's basketball infractions case
- Almost 80 years after the Holocaust, 245,000 Jewish survivors are still alive
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Blinken begins Africa tour in Cape Verde, touting the U.S. as a key security and economic partner
A sanction has been imposed on a hacker who released Australian health insurer client data
Manny Ellis' death prompts bid by lawmaker to ban hog-tying by police
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
Trump trial in E. Jean Carroll defamation case delayed because of sick juror
As his son faces a graft probe, a Malaysian ex-PM says the government wants to prosecute its rivals
New Mexico governor proposes $500M to treat fracking wastewater