A Malaysian woman’s deep love for a viral baby hippo led her to take a week off from work to attend the animal’s first birthday celebration in Thailand.
Moo Deng turns one with worldwide audience
The viral Moo Deng, a pygmy hippo living at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand, marked her first birthday on Thursday, July 10th, with a four-day festival.
Previously, the zoo gained worldwide attention after videos of Moo Deng’s playful baby antics went viral.
@khamoo.andthegang ฮิปโปโหดมากๆ #moodeng #hippo #ขาหมูแอนด์เดอะแก๊ง #หมูเด้งจะเด้งกี่โมง ♬ เสียงต้นฉบับ – ขาหมู แอนด์เดอะแก๊ง
The name Moo Deng means “Bouncy Pork” in Thai, and despite being less active now, she still shines as a social media star with over 5 million followers.
RM12k+ birthday fruit cake
The birthday festival, which coincided with a Thai public holiday, kicked off on July 10th with around 100 fans gathered around her enclosure.
A lecture on Moo Deng’s cheeky behaviour was held, and a skincare company paid USD3,000 (approximately RM 12 752.33) for a fruit-carved birthday cake.
The zoo also planned to auction off her belongings, although it’s unclear what items Moo Deng actually owns.
Hippo’s fame once quadrupled zoo visits
Moo Deng weighed just 5kg when she was born but now weighs 93kg.
As a baby, her clumsy and lively behaviour attracted global fans, boosting zoo ticket sales and inspiring merchandise like plushies, T-shirts, piggy banks, and ice cream.
She now spends her days quietly eating and resting in her enclosure, though her fans are still drawn to her personality.
‘She was a breath of fresh air’
Mr Narongwit, one of Moo Deng’s caretakers, believes her popularity came at just the right time for Thailand.
He said the country had been caught in political drama for years, with yet another prime minister removed just a month after Moo Deng’s birth on July 10, 2024.
“When Moo Deng was born, people in Thailand were sick of politics, sick of the news, sick of society,” he shared with The New York Times.
She was a breath of fresh air.”
Happy birthday, Moo Deng!
View the baby hippo’s birthday festivities here:
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