Latest news with #AtthaponNundee
Mint
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Pygmy hippo Moo Deng turns 1: Thailand's Khao Kheow Zoo celebrates viral baby hippopotamus with 20 kg cake
Viral pygmy baby hippo 'Moo Deng' celebrated her first birthday on Thursday. The celebrations for the internet sensation baby hippopotamus took place at Thailand'sKhao Kheow Open Zoo, located in Chonburi. Moo Deng marked her first birthday with a cake weighing 20 kilograms (44 pound), made from fruits and vegetables, NBC News reported. On the special day, the internet fame pygmy hippo wandered around her enclosure and took a few naps in-between before getting hosed down for a shower. She ate watermelon and vegetables on July 10, as thousands of fans from across the world paid visit to the famous zoo to watch Moo Deng celebrate her maiden birthday. Pygmy hippo Moo Deng eating birthday cake at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand 's Chonburi province on July 10. Pygmy hippo Moo Deng wandered around her enclosure at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand 's Chonburi province on July 10. Pygmy hippo Moo Deng eating 44-pound cake at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand 's Chonburi province on July 10. Pygmy hippo Moo Deng eating with her mother at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand 's Chonburi province on July 10. The special birthday treat was made up of a selection of tropical fruits placed in a Thai traditional style. The heavy cake had to be carried by three zoo keepers into her enclosure. Thefour-day birthday festivities included a photo exhibition, a parade and a charity auction. Some of Moo Deng's prized possessions were auctioned during the festivities, including a plastic bathtub that she had used since her birth. The tub sold for 50,000 baht ($1,530) while a cast of her footprints went for 700,000 baht. 'Moo Deng has made more people know about the zoo and they travel here, generating so much income for us - which allows us to improve the zoo a lot,' Reuters quoted Moo Deng's Zoo caretaker Atthapon Nundee as saying. The social media sensation baby pygmy hippo became famous after her playful and charming antics showcased at zoo's TikTok and Instagram accounts became viral. The animal arrived at the facility last year in September has since made a cameo on Saturday Night Live, including a visit from the cast of The White Lotus Season 3. Famous for her sassy personality, Moo Deng also featured in TODAY morning show's special segment, usually reserved for humans. The name Moo Deng means "bouncing pig." The animal got this name after a social media popular vote on the zoo's official Facebook page by over 20,000 children and tourists.
CBC
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Happy first birthday to Moo Deng, the viral pygmy hippo
Birthday girl and her mother celebrate with 20 kg fruit platter It's a major milestone for Moo Deng, the tiny hippo with an oversized personality who nearly broke the internet last summer. On Thursday, the pygmy hippopotamus marked her first birthday at her zoo in Chon Buri, Thailand. Moo Deng became a viral sensation soon after her zookeepers introduced her on social media last year, inspiring lots of memes, fan art and TikTok clips. Some of her TikTok videos have millions upon millions of views. And what's a birthday without a party? The Khao Kheow Open Zoo is throwing her a four-day-long celebration. Events include a hippo-sized fruit platter for her and her mother to snack on, a photo exhibition, a charity auction of Moo Deng items and even a parade. According to the zoo's director, about 12,000 fans flocked to the zoo by Thursday afternoon, the opening day of the celebrations, to join the party. Moon Deng's impact Moo Deng's caretaker, Atthapon Nundee, says that the attention on the hippo has brought more visitors to the zoo. The extra revenue has allowed the zoo to make improvements. 'Moo Deng has made more people know about the zoo and they travel here,' he said. But there have also been some downsides to the influx of new guests. Back in September 2024, shortly after Moo Deng was introduced to the public, some visitors were too excited to see the hippo. Some would splash water on her, or throw objects, trying to get her attention. That seemed to be a distant memory on Thursday as Moo Deng dug into her birthday feast. Crunch! Munch! Moo Deng, right, has a delicious taste of her 'birthday cake' — a fruit platter — with her mom, Jona, left. (Image credit: Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters) The hippo and her mother, 26-year-old Jona, were served a 20-kilogram birthday cake of sorts — a fruit platter — that was so big, three zookeepers had to carry it into their enclosure. The zoo has auctioned off some of Moo Deng's collectables, like a clay cast of her footprints and the blue, plastic bathtub she used as a baby. It said proceeds from the auction will be used to support other animals.
The Sun
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
How ‘world's cutest animal' Moo Deng captured hearts as viral pygmy hippo celebrates first birthday with incredible gift
VIRAL baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng celebrated her first birthday on Thursday. The Thai national treasure was spoiled with a massive tropical fruit platter as fans packed in to celebrate her four-day birthday bash. 4 4 4 Moo Deng, whose name means "bouncing pig" in Thai, rose to fame last year thanks to her playful, clumsy antics. She quickly became a viral sensation, inspiring memes, fan art, merchandise and even songs. Thousands of fans flocked to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo - about 62 miles south of Bangkok - to take part in the baby hippo's four-day birthday celebrations. Moo Deng's caretaker at the zoo, Atthapon Nundee, said: "Moo Deng has made more people know about the zoo and they travel here, generating so much income for us - which allows us to improve the zoo a lot." The zoo treated Moo Deng and her 26-year-old mum Jona to a 44-pound "birthday cake", made of tropical fruit carved in Thai traditional style. Zookeepers carried the platter into the enclosure and camera crew captured the sweet moment as the pair dug in. The four-day celebration included a photo exhibition, a charity auction and a parade. A cast of her footprints sold for 700,000 baht (£15,800), while her old plastic bathtub also fetched 50,000 baht (£1,128). Mucharim Chutimatipakorn, who won the bid for the footprint cast, said: "I intended to get this because I love Moo Deng so much. "I also want to contribute to the development of this zoo." MOO WILL IT BE Watch moment viral pygmy hippo Moo Deng predicts 2024 US election winner All proceeds from the auction will go towards a wildlife conservation fund. Who is Moo Deng? Moo Deng is a pygmy hippopotamus. Pygmy hippos are much smaller than common hippos, standing about half the height and weighing less than a quarter as much. She is the seventh calf of 26-year-old Jona and 25-year-old Tony. She became a viral sensation just weeks after she was born at Thailand's Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Si Racha. Her zookeeper Atthapon Nundee began sharing her playful antics online. She's been featured on various platforms, including the official X account. International sports teams like Germany's FC Bayern Munich, the Phoenix Suns and the Washington Commanders have even shared memes of her. What does Moo Deng mean? 'Moo Deng' is the name of a popular Thai dish that is often interpreted as 'bouncy pork' because of the springy texture of the meat. It's a beloved ingredient in Thai soups, stir-fries and noodle dishes. The name was chosen by fans through a social media poll. The zoo has a tradition of naming its hippos after pork dishes. Moo Deng's siblings, who also live in the 2,000-acre open zoo, include: 4
CNA
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Thailand's hippo Moo Deng draws crowds at first birthday bash
CHONBURI, Thailand: Thailand's baby pygmy hippo and internet sensation Moo Deng celebrated her first birthday on Thursday (Jul 10), devouring a massive tropical fruit platter alongside her mother as throngs of adoring fans turned up for her four-day party. Moo Deng, whose name means "bouncing pig" in Thai, became a global superstar last year, with images of her rosy cheeks and clumsily charming antics going viral online, inspiring fan art, merchandise, songs and memes around the world. Thousands of visitors converged on the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, 100km south of the capital Bangkok, taking turns to see the bouncy baby hippo during a four-day birthday bash that included a photo exhibition, a charity auction and a parade. "Moo Deng has made more people know about the zoo and they travel here, generating so much income for us - which allows us to improve the zoo a lot," said Atthapon Nundee, Moo Deng's caretaker at the zoo. The zoo served Moo Deng and her 26-year-old mother, Jona, a 20kg "birthday cake" - which was a selection of tropical fruits carved in a Thai traditional style - that was carried into her enclosure by three zookeepers. Some of Moo Deng's prized possessions were auctioned during the festivities, including a plastic bathtub that she had used since her birth. The tub sold for 50,000 baht (US$1,530) while a cast of her footprints went for 700,000 baht.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Moo Deng: Why is the internet obsessed with a viral baby hippo?
A playful and pudgy baby hippopotamus in Thailand who loves splashing about in water and enjoys belly rubs from her keeper, is celebrating her first birthday on Thursday, devouring a tropical fruit platter alongside her mother as fans throng for her four-day party. She developed a massive fan following last year after captivating the internet that left the zoo housing her struggling to manage large crowds jostling to see the global celebrity. Moo Deng, whose name means "bouncing pig" in Thai, became a superstar with images of her rosy cheeks and clumsily charming antics going viral online, inspiring fan art, merchandise, songs and memes around the world. Thousands of visitors converged on the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, 100km south of the capital Bangkok, taking turns to see the bouncy baby hippo during a four-day birthday bash that included a photo exhibition, a charity auction, and a parade. Moo Deng became a meme-worthy internet sensation after zookeeper Atthapon Nundee posted her videos of bathing, playfully biting, and sleeping. Her snot bubbles have a separate fan base. Because of the popularity of the hippo, whose name translates to 'bouncy pork', the zoo saw a boosted attendance over the past weekend. It drew more than 10,000 visitors, up from around the usual 3,000. Moo's cuteness also led to plans for a 24/7 livestream, though it is not yet up and running. "Moo Deng has made more people know about the zoo and they travel here, generating so much income for us - which allows us to improve the zoo a lot," said Atthapon Nundee, Moo Deng's caretaker at the zoo. The zoo served Moo Deng and her 26-year-old mother Jona a 20kg "birthday cake" – which was a selection of tropical fruits carved in a Thai traditional style – that was carried into her enclosure by three zoo keepers. Some of MooDeng's prized possessions were auctioned during the festivities, including a plastic bathtub that she had used since her birth. The tub sold for 70,000 baht ($2,150) while a cast of her footprints went for 700,000 baht. All proceeds from the auction will go towards a wildlife conservation fund. But her popularity has not come without problems. Earlier last year, it was reported that some visitors to the zoo were throwing water and other objects at the baby hippo to get her to react. It forced the zoo's director to threaten legal action against misbehaving visitors. Due to overcrowdeding, interactions with Moo Deng will now be limited to weekends, with each viewing lasting only five minutes, The Bangkok Post reported. Group sizes will be capped at 30 to 50 people to better manage crowds, according to zoo authorities. Moo's fame has also brought the spotlight back on past allegations of cruelty at crowded animal shows in Thai zoos amid a post-Covid tourism boost. What is behind Moo Deng's fame? Moo Deng was born last year at the zoo in Chonburi. Only a month after her birth, her videos exploded on TikTok and social media quickly became obsessed. Vulture wrote: 'She has little teeny, tiny baby chompers, she's perpetually wet, and her name means bouncy pork. It's the ultimate recipe for internet cuteness.' She is the Pookie of the moment. The Associated Press described Moo Deng as having 'the kind of face that launches a thousand memes'. Moo Deng in Thai is a type of meatball. It was reported that the name was chosen by fans through a social media poll, keeping in theme with her siblings: Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork). The zoo also has a common hippo named Kha Moo (stewed pork leg). 'She's such a little lump. I want to ball her up and swallow her whole!' a Moo Deng fan Areeya Sripanya told AP on Thursday. Brands are capitalising on Moo's popularity The cosmetic brand Sephora, in its advertising for blush products in Thailand, claims to offer Moo Deng's 'pink & peachy tone' cheeks. A bakery in Bangkok announced on Facebook that it had to limit orders for its Moo Deng-inspired cakes due to overwhelming demand. The Thai Embassy in Tokyo shared photos of Moo Deng on X and encouraged visitors to the zoo. Moo Deng even made it to Time magazine. 'She is an icon. She is a legend. She is the moment', read the headline on a piece about her. According to the zoo, Moo Deng's mother, Jona, is 25 years old, and her father, Tony, is 24. She is their seventh baby born at the zoo. Artists have created cartoons, cakes, and latte art inspired by her, and her image has even appeared in posts from the official account on social media platform X. She's been featured in memes by teams like Germany's FC Bayern, the Phoenix Suns, the Washington Commanders, and the New York Mets, often with simple photo edits placing her in various hats or human-like scenarios. Given her rising fame, the zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi announced that they are in the process of copyrighting and trademarking 'Moo Deng the hippo' to prevent unauthorised commercialisation. 'After we do this, we will have more income to support activities that will make the animals' lives better,' he told the Associated Press. 'The kind of face that launches a thousand memes' A TikTok video featuring Moo Deng's caretaker playing with her has gone viral, amassing over 33 million views and more than 2 million likes. Comments express delight, with one noting that the baby hippo 'looks like he (sic) was just hatched'. Other videos of Moo Deng, including one of her mimicking her mother munching on veggies (Moo is still on a milk diet), have also garnered millions of views on TikTok and X. 'The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad. I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally,' Nundee, the caretaker who has worked at the zoo for eight years, told The Guardian. Moo Deng is reportedly having a 24*7 live stream set up for her fans to enjoy her antics without having to visit the zoo where footfalls have increased – thanks to Moo Deng. Visitors told to stop harassing Moo Deng Moo Deng's fame has attracted some overly enthusiastic visitors to the zoo. She typically wakes up to play for just two hours a day, but some videos have shown people splashing water or tossing objects to rouse her from sleep. In response, the zoo has placed a warning sign at the hippo pit, prominently displayed in Thai, English, and Chinese, advising against throwing things at Moo Deng. 'These behaviours are not only cruel but also dangerous,' zoo director Chodchoi told reporters. 'We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.' To tackle these concerns, the zoo has now set up security cameras in Moo Deng's habitat and alerted visitors about potential legal consequences for any rule violations. Moo Deng is from an endangered species The pygmy hippo is an endangered species, with only 2,000-2,500 adults left, according to the IUCN. Their numbers are decreasing due to hunting for bushmeat and habitat destruction, reports note. Smaller than common hippos, they are mainly found in West African countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast. Moo Deng's time in the spotlight is being used by the zoo to highlight the plight of the species. 'I hope that the cuteness of Moo-Deng will raise awareness for people to come and learn about [the species],' Nundee was quoted as saying by The Guardian. An adult pygmy hippo can live up to 50 years and can grow to about half the height of a full-sized hippo. In the wild, their diet mainly consists of grass, leaves, shoots, and fallen fruits. Science tries to explain Moo Deng's fame The Washington Post pointed out that research indicates especially cute animals possess 'baby schema' traits – physical features resembling those of infants – that activate our instinct to care for them. It noted that Moo Deng's large eyes and adorable skin rolls evoke our nurturing instincts, even though she's a pygmy hippo. 'When we see these infantile features – those big eyes, large foreheads, small chins, and pudgy bodies – we interpret that as helplessness and as dependency, and it motivates us to care for them,' Daniel Kruger, a research scientist in evolutionary psychology at the University of Michigan and the State University of New York at Buffalo, was quoted as saying. 'That little rolly-polly face is wonderfully squishable. She is often seen screeching and bouncing around like a tusked Roomba. Moo Deng is, effectively, an exotic, somewhat slimy English bulldog. What is there not to love about that?' gushed a Mashable piece. 'We get to anthropomorphise a personality unto them as a collective. We see open-mouthed, blurry snaps of Moo Deng, and we get to make her a mischievous, cherubic little character. In the absence of, you know, animals being able to express themselves, we do it for them. It's sort of what we do with our own pets. Together, we make an adorable creation.' Khao Kheow Open Zoo's past In 2021, the Khao Kheow Open Zoo met with backlash over its elephant swimming shows. It featured performances where elephants swim, dance, and perform tricks while visitors watch through a glass enclosure. The zoo has defended the shows, despite social media outrage calling it an example of animal cruelty. The controversy intensified after a photo titled 'Elephant in the Room' by Adam Oswell won an award at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards 2021, organised by the Natural History Museum in London. In an interview, the zoo's then director, Tewin Rattanawongsawat, defended the shows, saying that swimming is a natural behaviour for elephants and that they are not forced to perform, as no mahouts ride them. He said that the elephants swim freely and receive food rewards after each show. Animal rights activists said that the practice was cruel and urged the Chonburi governor at the time to shut down the zoo and transfer the elephants to a sanctuary. 'No elephant would exhibit these types of behaviours in the wild, so in order to make them do so for the crowds, trainers use cruel techniques to make sure their charges will do what they say when they say it,' a petition posted on Care2 noted. The zoo's website still shows the timing for elephant swimming shows on its homepage. The Independent has reached out to Khao Kheow Open Zoo for comment. In 2018 Attaporn Sriheran, the then-zoo director, again defended the elephant swimming shows. 'The show is considered exercise for the elephants. Normally they go into pools to play with water anyway,' Sriheran told Khaosod English. 'The zoo then designed another pool for the elephants to swim and at the same time allows children and visitors to learn about their behaviour as well.' The Khao Kheow Open Zoo also advertises a 'Penguin Parade' on its website. The show involves penguins waddling up in a queue on a ramp for the visitors. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, as tourism in Thailand rebounded, zoos in the country have come under renewed scrutiny for their treatment of animals and overall welfare standards.
