A baby pygmy hippopotamus in a Thailand zoo has quickly become a worldwide internet sensation after the zoo began posting videos of her. But zoo officials say the increased attention has led to bad behavior from some visitors.
Photos of Moo Deng, who is just 2 months old, have flooded social media, with the Utah Jazz including the hippo in a post about the team's home-opening game. Sephora Thailand celebrated Moo Deng’s stardom by posting on social media about how to “wear your blush like a baby hippo.”
She has also drawn a surge in the number of visitors to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand. But zoo officials have limited visitation because of water being poured on her and objects being thrown at her by visitors. In a social media post over the weekend, zoo officials said visitors could see Moo Deng for only five minutes on Saturdays and Sundays.
Narongwit Chodchoi, director of the zoo, issued a statement last week warning there would be legal consequences for those who harass the beloved hippo.
"These behaviors are not only cruel but also dangerous," he said, according to the Nation Thailand. "We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.”
Why is she so popular?
Moo Deng was born on July 10 and rose to fame after the zoo began posting videos on social media of her eating and even opening a door. Her mother, Jona, is 25 years old and her father, Tony, is 24 years old, according to the zoo. She is the seventh baby hippo born to her parents at the zoo.
A TikTok page dedicated to animals at the zoo with more than 2.7 million followers has been sharing Moo Deng videos, with hippo fan videos gaining millions of views across Instagram as well.
Her name, which means “bouncy pig,” was chosen by more than 20,000 visitors through an online vote and revealed in late August.
The pygmy hippo is an endangered species, with only about 2,000-2,500 mature individuals remaining as of 2015, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Their numbers are continuing to decline, as they are hunted for bushmeat and their habitat is destroyed, the Pygmy Hippo Foundation says. They are smaller than a common hippopotamus and are primarily found in West Africa in countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
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