News Desk – Meet Moo Deng, a tiny baby hippo who has become very popular on the internet. She lives at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. Videos of her playing and being cute have been watched by millions of people all over the world. Moo Deng loves playing in water and interacting with her zookeeper.
Her name, Moo Deng, means ‘bouncy pig’ in Thai, which suits her playful and lively personality. Because she’s so popular, she has inspired people to create art and even products with her picture on them.
The zookeeper, Atthapon Nundee, started sharing videos of her and other animals to make people smile during the pandemic. He hoped she would be famous in Thailand but didn’t expect her to become famous around the world.
Sadly, some people have been bothering her by throwing food to get her attention, which isn’t good for her. The zoo has had to put up cameras and ask visitors to be more respectful.
Moo Deng is a pygmy hippo, a type of hippo that’s very rare and in danger of disappearing because their homes are being destroyed. There are fewer than 3,000 pygmy hippos left in the wild.
Atthapon hopes that Moo Deng’s cuteness will help more people learn about pygmy hippos and want to help protect them.
