Her toothless chewing skills have already become an internet hit and now Moo Deng the pygmy hippo is appearing in cosmetics ads and has quickly become a brand ambassador for Thailand.
But the two-month-old’s meteoric rise to online stardom has also prompted her caregivers to urge visitors to behave well and limit the time they see her.
Moo Deng, also known as the “bouncing pig,” was named after a vote of more than 20,000 children and tourists on the Facebook page of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, a city in eastern Thailand, where she was born in July.
The hippo has become an internet phenomenon since her keepers began uploading videos of her daily activities, which mostly consist of napping, walking around her enclosure and chewing on her keepers’ knees while she’s being hosed down in the shower.
And just like any human celebrity, Moo Deng has dozens of fan pages on social media with photos and videos documenting every moment of her life in public.
The Thai embassy in Tokyo also posted photos of Moo Deng on X, with an invitation for visitors to tour the zoo in Japanese.
Cosmetics brand Sephora is promoting its blush products in Thailand to achieve the same “pink and peachy tone” as Moo Deng’s cheeks. A bakery in Bangkok said on Facebook on Sunday that it would have to limit orders for its Moo Deng-style cakes because demand was so high.
Moo Deng is also the protagonist of an endless series of internet memes and fan art.
A video on TikTok of Moo Deng’s caretaker playing with the hippo has been viewed more than 33 million times and has more than 2 million likes. “That baby hippo looks like it just hatched,” reads one comment.
Other videos of Moo Deng on the TikTok account have also received millions of views. Another 29-second video posted on X The video of Moo Deng eating her daily portion of vegetables has been viewed more than 15 million times.
However, her caretakers are increasingly concerned about her safety. Some fans are throwing water and other objects at Moo Deng, prompting the zoo director to threaten legal action.
Officials said Sunday that the zoo would be open to visitors only on Saturday and Sunday, with each viewing limited to five minutes.
“This behavior is not only cruel but also dangerous,” zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi said, according to local media. “We must protect these animals and ensure they have a safe and comfortable environment,” he said.
Pygmy hippos are considered an endangered species. Their numbers are declining due to poaching, and it is estimated that only 2,000 remain in the wild, according to the Pygmy Hippo Foundation.
An adult pygmy hippo can live up to 50 years and reach half the height of a full-grown hippo. In the wild, they mainly eat grass, leaves, shoots and fallen fruit.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
