Unless you live under a rock, you’ll know that Moo Deng has achieved a certain superstardom that only cute personalities can have. And she’s certainly adorable! Born in July this year, this baby pygmy hippo in a Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo has captured hearts – as well as TikTok and IG reels – around the world. Moo Deng, whose name means “bouncy pork”, has already brought in ticket sales worth S$470,000 in less than three weeks since she went viral!
Oh, and and because she’s so popular, she’s even got her own crypto memecoin (of course she does, and it’s Moo Deng coin).
Unsurprisingly, this sassy little hippo has also inspired a bunch of comedy skits and memes around the interwebs. (It reminds us of that time when Squid Game broke the internet with its own memes.) So here are just some adorably hilarious memes of everyone’s favourite baby pygmy hippo that have been floating around:
While the first clip of Moo Deng was released in late July 2024, she really hit international stardom when the hashtag #MooDengwillbounce came around. Of course with her adorable antics and a penchant for nibbling knees, she’s wiggled a way into our hearts.
Thanks to her popularity, accommodation options around the zoo have been booming, with fans spending the night so that they can see her early in the morning. Fans can also get the Annual Pass to the zoo, which allows unlimited entry for 4 people over the course of a year. That being said, the Khao Kheow Open Zoo is now concerned about Moo Deng’s safety, restricting visiting hours to weekends.
Moo Deng is a celebrity endorsement
It’s no surprise that brands are jumping on the bandwagon to utilise Moo Deng’s popularity. These days you’ll even find makeup tutorials to look like the little starlet – you know, the pink blush and grey eyeshadow with a dewey-wet look. TikTok is full of videos of people just making themselves look like a baby hippo. It doesn’t help that even a Sephora ad stars the baby hippo.
Moo Deng has also been roped in for some safety announcement! Halfway around the world in Texas, she’s a wriggly and sassy safety ambassador:
And if you’re playing Final Fantasy XIV, then you’ll know that in-game prices for virtual baby hippos have increased dramatically since Moo Deng became an internet star. Before she went viral, you could grab a Hippo Calf for around 30,000 Gil. But now, you’ll have to pay nearly 300,000 Gil!
She has her own livestream
Her hippo chonkiness only adds to her charm. If you can’t get enough of her, the zoo has even launched a 24/7 online viewing platform at www.zoodio.live.
And one of favourite clips has to be one with her peacefully sleeping and blowing a snot bubble:
