Current:Home > MySurpassing Quant Think Tank Center|Who's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet -InvestPioneer
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center|Who's that baby hippo on your timeline? Meet the wet, chubby 'lifestyle icon' captivating the internet
SafeX Pro View
Date:2025-04-09 11:05:25
Oh,Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center baby! A little hippo in Thailand has taken the internet by storm, becoming a viral sensation and even inspiring Sephora to post about blushes that will make people "blush like a baby hippo."
Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippopotamus at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in eastern Thailand about two hours from Bangkok, has the internet and the world in a chokehold with her chubby, pink cheeks, tummy rolls and adorable expressions.
The two-month-old, whose name means "bouncing pig" in Thai, has millions of fans on social media following her clumsy adventures, including trying to nibble her handler despite not having teeth.
Who is Moo Deng?
Moo Deng was born on June 10, to mother Jona, 25 and father Tony, 24, with two other siblings Pork Stew and Sweet Pork at the zoo in Chonburi, NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, reported. She is the seventh child born to the hippo couple and is also the sibling of Moo Toon, another famous hippo, Pattaya Mail reported. Moo Deng is also the granddaughter of Thailand's oldest hippo, Malee, who recently celebrated her 59th birthday. The median life expectancy of pygmy hippos is 27 years, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Pygmy hippopotamuses are a small breed of hippopotamus that are native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. They are known to be solitary and nocturnal but can sometimes be found in small family groups. Adults grow up to two and half to three feet high and around five feet in length, weighing between 350-600 pounds. Pygmy hippos are now classified as endangered, the alliance said, with possibly less than 3,000 individuals remaining in their native habitat.
Zoo draws thousands of visitors
Moo Deng's internet-fame has also translated into real life celebrity fame with the zoo drawing thousands of visitors, who visit every day just to get a glimpse of her.
Director of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo Narungwit Chodchoy told Reuters the zoo normally gets around 800 visitors on any given day during the rainy season, "which is a low season." After Moo Deng catapulted to fame, the zoo is now getting 3,000 to 4,000 people on weekdays, and welcomed almost 20,000 visitors over the weekend, Chodchoy said, adding that most of them came just to see Moo Deng.
"Moo Deng fever means we will have organize better so all visitors can see her," Narungwit told the media outlet.
Narungwit has also issued strict orders against those who bother Moo Deng after videos of visitors throwing water and shells on the baby pygmy were shared to social media, according to Pattaya Mail. Staff presence has also been increased during peak hours and surveillance cameras have also been installed.
Moo Deng: 'A lifestyle icon'
Moo Deng has inspired several advertisements including by Sephora Thailand and the NBA's Utah Jazz, with internet users referring to her as a 'lifestyle icon."
Contributing: Reuters, Maria Francis, USA TODAY NETWORK
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
veryGood! (469)
Related
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Austin Tice's parents reveal how the family coped for the last 12 years
- Only about 2 in 10 Americans approve of Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter, an AP
- Not sure what to write in your holiday card? These tips can help: Video tutorial
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Australian man arrested for starting fire at Changi Airport
- Pakistan ex
- Arizona city sues federal government over PFAS contamination at Air Force base
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- GM to retreat from robotaxis and stop funding its Cruise autonomous vehicle unit
Ranking
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Morgan Wallen sentenced after pleading guilty in Nashville chair
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- PACCAR recalls over 220,000 trucks for safety system issue: See affected models
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Elon Musk just gave Nvidia investors one billion reasons to cheer for reported partnership
- What is Sora? Account creation paused after high demand of AI video generator
- What is Sora? Account creation paused after high demand of AI video generator
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
Alex Jones keeps Infowars for now after judge rejects The Onion’s winning auction bid
'Unimaginable situation': South Korea endures fallout from martial law effort
Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
In a First, Arizona’s Attorney General Sues an Industrial Farm Over Its Water Use
Mitt Romney’s Senate exit may create a vacuum of vocal, conservative Trump critics
Wisconsin kayaker who faked his death and fled to Eastern Europe is in custody, online records show