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ITV News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Beloved pygmy hippo Moo Deng celebrates first birthday
Zoo workers gave Moo Deng a makeshift birthday cake made of fruits and vegetables Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo turned social media star, has celebrated her first birthday, with thousands turning out to celebrate with her. The Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Bangkok was overrun with fans on the first day of four days of activities marking the occasion. And what would a birthday party be without a singsong and a slice of cake? Well, Moo Deng's celebrations were no different, with fans singing her 'Happy Birthday' and the park presenting her with a cake made from a variety of fruit and vegetables. Fans travelled from far and wide to celebrate with Moo Deng, including Jennifer Tang from Malaysia. 'She makes me happy. Whenever I'm stressed at work, I pull up photos of Moo Deng,' Tang said. 'So my whole office knows that I'm here... They let me take a week off.' The zoo held an online auction to celebrate the special occasion with photographs, footprints, and even a food container all up for grabs. Money raised from the auction will go towards helping the animals under the zoo's care. When the world met Moo Deng Moo Deng soared to social media stardom shortly after she was born when zoo keeper Atthapon Nundee shared pictures and videos of the baby hippo online. Nundee continues to keep fans updated with happy hippo moments to this day. Followers of Moo Deng even got to help choose the celebrity hippo's name via a social media poll last year. Moo Deng means "bouncy pork" in Thai, with her name matching her other siblings: Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork). There is also another hippo who lives at the zoo named Kha Moo, which translates to stewed pork leg. The Khao Kheow Open Zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals and saw a spike in visitors when Moo Deng first rose to fame. But since the height of her celebrity stardom, the number of people visiting the park has fallen by almost half. 'Moo Deng is a representative of all wild animals, and she helps everyone understand the roles of zoos,' Narongwit told The Associated Press. 'She speaks for all nearly extinct animals, and turns people's attention to their conservation.' The zoo also runs breeder programs for many endangered species, including the pygmy hippopotamus. The species is native to West Africa, where it is threatened by poaching and loss of habitat. There are only 2,000 to 3,000 left in the wild.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Moo Deng turns 1: Thailand's internet-famous baby hippo celebrates birthday feasting on massive fruit platter
Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus who became a viral sensation thanks to her rosy cheeks and chaotic charm, turned one on 10 July, with the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand hosting a four-day festival to mark the occasion. The celebrations began on Asalha Puja, a Thai public holiday, and will run until 13 July at the zoo's hippo enclosure in Chonburi province, about two hours from Bangkok. Moo Deng was given a massive tropical fruit platter as throngs of adoring fans turned up for her four-day party. Highlights include a birthday cake funded by a skincare beautician for 100,000 baht (approx £2,100), mascot parades, and a photo exhibition titled Moo Deng in Every Moment, chronicling her journey from a 5kg newborn to a 93kg toddler, reported the Nation. Children under 12 or shorter than 135cm are being granted free entry during the festivities, which also feature drawing and modelling corners, games, and licensed merchandise ranging from plush toys to Moo Deng-branded ice cream. A charity auction will sell off memorabilia and some of the young hippo's belongings –including her favourite plastic basin – with proceeds supporting animal care at the zoo. The festivities have attracted fans from across Asia. 'She's really special to me, she makes me happy,' Jennifer Tang, a visitor from Malaysia told AFP as she described the young hippo as a 'chaos rage potato'. Moo Deng – meaning "bouncy pork" in Thai – was born on 10 July 2024 and quickly rose to stardom after her keeper, Atthapon Nundee, began sharing her antics on social media. Within days, her videos went viral, prompting the zoo to livestream her enclosure and capitalise on her fame with merchandise and corporate endorsements. In the final quarter of 2024 alone, Khao Kheow Open Zoo saw visitor numbers triple to 600,000. Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoy secured sponsorship deals with an e-commerce site and a telecoms firm, while Moo Deng-themed sculptures now welcome guests at the zoo entrance. Her fame has even reached diplomatic and celebrity circles. The US Embassy in Bangkok sent a plush toy named Sammy as a birthday present, and Hollywood actors Sam Nivola and Sarah Catherine Hook – stars of The White Lotus – visited her earlier this year. Moo Deng has appeared in a Saturday Night Live sketch and correctly predicted Donald Trump 's 2024 US presidential win by choosing between two vegetable cakes. Google honoured her with a doodle, and a Thai music label released a viral techno anthem bearing her name. But her popularity has begun to dip, mirroring the short-lived fame of other internet-famous animals like China's Hua Hua the panda and Australia's Pesto the penguin. Still, Mr Nundee insists Moo Deng enjoys the attention. 'Her eyes light up when people take photos of her,' he told AFP. 'She used to be very naughty and jumped around all the time. Now she only eats and sleeps.' Despite the fading frenzy, Moo Deng continues to bring joy. In February, zoo staff granted the final wish of a terminally ill six-year-old Thai boy, Auto, by organising a private viewing of the hippo, reported the Strait Times. Moo Deng unusually stayed out of the pool and visible until the boy left. 'That day was so much fun,' staff later wrote on Facebook. Auto died on 2 June. The pygmy hippopotamus is an endangered species, native to West Africa, with fewer than 2,500 left in the wild according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. While Moo Deng's fame hasn't significantly boosted awareness of their plight, experts suggest her early cuteness may ensure lasting affection. 'Maybe part of our appreciation of cuteness is knowing that it doesn't last very long,' said Dr Joshua Paul Dale, who researches cuteness at Japan's Chuo University. 'That can kind of continue on and affect our relationship with cute things, even when they grow up,' told AFP.
SBS Australia
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Thailand's viral hippo Moo Deng celebrates her first birthday
Thailand's pygmy hippo Moo Deng marked her first birthday on Thursday, drawing crowds of diehard fans even as she left behind the cute animal infancy that earned her worldwide internet fame. Big crowds are expected at a four-day festival at Khao Kheow Open Zoo where Moo Deng — which means "Bouncy Pork" in Thai — frolicked to stardom and amassed five million social media followers. The first day of the extravaganza fell on a Thai public holiday with an agenda including a lecture on "Moo Deng's cheekiness", while a skincare beautician paid to sponsor her fruit-festooned birthday cake. Around 100 fans gathered outside her enclosure on Thursday morning, fewer than the hordes she commanded at the height of her fame, but still animated with adoration. Jennifer Tang took a week off from her work in Malaysia to make the pilgrimage, telling AFP she was "a little bit obsessed" with the calf she described as a "chaos rage potato". "She's really special to me, she makes me happy," she said. Tang insisted Moo Deng is "still really sassy and funny" despite approaching maturity. "Take a look at the crowd today - she's still a legend," she added. Moo Deng has swollen from 5kg at birth to 93kg today. She spent her birthday plodding in her enclosure, munching fruit and vegetables, a stark contrast to the energetic yet clumsy antics that earned her fame as a pint-sized pachyderm. "Moo Deng used to be very naughty and jumped around all the time," said Attaphol Nundee, one of her six handlers. "Now she only eats and sleeps." "Her popularity has slowed," admitted the 32-year-old. "But some old fans have returned, and there are new ones too." Despite her waning fame, "her eyes light up when people take photos of her", he added. Her handlers are set to auction her belongings later, but it is unclear what possessions she has accumulated in her short life at the Chonburi province zoo, a two-hour drive from Bangkok. 'Cute doesn't last long' Moo Deng's blubbery rose-blushed face launched a thousand memes and a plethora of merchandise, including piggy banks, party shirts and popsicles, prompting her owners to trademark her likeness. She once quadrupled ticket sales for the zoo where she resides in a sparse, stone, five square metre (54 square feet) public enclosure, once livestreamed 24/7 to sate the internet's appetite for her. There were hopes her stardom would spotlight the plight of the endangered pygmy hippo, native to West Africa, with only around 2500 left alive according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. But social media and search engine metrics suggest Moo Deng's popularity peaked around late September last year before dramatically declining. "Moo Deng went viral very quickly when she was born," said Joshua Paul Dale, an academic who teaches courses on the phenomenon of "cuteness" at Japan's Chuo University. "Maybe part of our appreciation of cuteness is knowing that it's something that doesn't last very long," he told AFP. Moo Deng is part of a pantheon of captive animals who have enjoyed flash-in-the-pan popularity for their cuteness online, including Australia's Pesto the penguin and China's Hua Hua the panda. Pygmy hippos have a lifespan of between 30 and 50 years.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Thailand's internet-famous baby hippo Moo Deng celebrates first birthday feasting on massive tropical fruit platter
Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus who became a viral sensation thanks to her rosy cheeks and chaotic charm, turned one on 10 July, with the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand hosting a four-day festival to mark the occasion. The celebrations began on Asalha Puja, a Thai public holiday, and will run until 13 July at the zoo's hippo enclosure in Chonburi province, about two hours from Bangkok. Moo Deng was given a massive tropical fruit platter as throngs of adoring fans turned up for her four-day party. Highlights include a birthday cake funded by a skincare beautician for 100,000 baht (approx £2,100), mascot parades, and a photo exhibition titled Moo Deng in Every Moment, chronicling her journey from a 5kg newborn to a 93kg toddler, reported the Nation. Children under 12 or shorter than 135cm are being granted free entry during the festivities, which also feature drawing and modelling corners, games, and licensed merchandise ranging from plush toys to Moo Deng-branded ice cream. A charity auction will sell off memorabilia and some of the young hippo's belongings –including her favourite plastic basin – with proceeds supporting animal care at the zoo. The festivities have attracted fans from across Asia. 'She's really special to me, she makes me happy,' Jennifer Tang, a visitor from Malaysia told AFP as she described the young hippo as a 'chaos rage potato'. Moo Deng – meaning "bouncy pork" in Thai – was born on 10 July 2024 and quickly rose to stardom after her keeper, Atthapon Nundee, began sharing her antics on social media. Within days, her videos went viral, prompting the zoo to livestream her enclosure and capitalise on her fame with merchandise and corporate endorsements. In the final quarter of 2024 alone, Khao Kheow Open Zoo saw visitor numbers triple to 600,000. Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoy secured sponsorship deals with an e-commerce site and a telecoms firm, while Moo Deng-themed sculptures now welcome guests at the zoo entrance. Her fame has even reached diplomatic and celebrity circles. The US Embassy in Bangkok sent a plush toy named Sammy as a birthday present, and Hollywood actors Sam Nivola and Sarah Catherine Hook – stars of The White Lotus – visited her earlier this year. Moo Deng has appeared in a Saturday Night Live sketch and correctly predicted Donald Trump 's 2024 US presidential win by choosing between two vegetable cakes. Google honoured her with a doodle, and a Thai music label released a viral techno anthem bearing her name. But her popularity has begun to dip, mirroring the short-lived fame of other internet-famous animals like China's Hua Hua the panda and Australia's Pesto the penguin. Still, Mr Nundee insists Moo Deng enjoys the attention. 'Her eyes light up when people take photos of her,' he told AFP. 'She used to be very naughty and jumped around all the time. Now she only eats and sleeps.' Despite the fading frenzy, Moo Deng continues to bring joy. In February, zoo staff granted the final wish of a terminally ill six-year-old Thai boy, Auto, by organising a private viewing of the hippo, reported the Strait Times. Moo Deng unusually stayed out of the pool and visible until the boy left. 'That day was so much fun,' staff later wrote on Facebook. Auto died on 2 June. The pygmy hippopotamus is an endangered species, native to West Africa, with fewer than 2,500 left in the wild according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. While Moo Deng's fame hasn't significantly boosted awareness of their plight, experts suggest her early cuteness may ensure lasting affection. 'Maybe part of our appreciation of cuteness is knowing that it doesn't last very long,' said Dr Joshua Paul Dale, who researches cuteness at Japan's Chuo University. 'That can kind of continue on and affect our relationship with cute things, even when they grow up,' told AFP.
Malay Mail
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Hippo birthday: Thai viral sensation Moo Deng turns one with US$3,000 cake and fan festival — still ‘a legend' in the eyes of adoring fans
CHONBURI (Thailand), July 10 — Thailand's pygmy hippo Moo Deng marked her first birthday today, drawing crowds of diehard fans even as she left behind the cute animal infancy that earned her worldwide internet fame. Big crowds are expected at a four-day festival at Khao Kheow Open Zoo where Moo Deng — meaning 'Bouncy Pork' in Thai — frolicked to stardom and amassed five million social media followers. The first day of the extravaganza fell on a Thai public holiday with an agenda including a lecture on 'Moo Deng's cheekiness', while a skincare beautician paid US$3,000 (RM12,757) to sponsor her fruit-festooned birthday cake. Around 100 fans gathered outside her enclosure this morning — fewer than the hordes she commanded at the height of her fame, but still animated with adoration. Jennifer Tang took a week off her work in Malaysia to make the pilgrimage, telling AFP she was 'a little bit obsessed' with the calf she described as a 'chaos rage potato'. 'She's really special to me, she makes me happy,' she said. Tang insisted Moo Deng is 'still really sassy and funny' despite approaching maturity. 'Take a look at the crowd today — she's still a legend,' she told AFP. Visitors take a photo with a Moo Deng mascot at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province on July 10, 2025. — AFP pic Moo Deng has swollen from five kilogrammes at birth to 93 kilogrammes today. She spent her birthday plodding in her enclosure, munching fruit and vegetables — a stark contrast to the energetic yet clumsy antics that earned her fame as a pint-sized pachyderm. 'Moo Deng used to be very naughty and jumped around all the time,' said Attaphol Nundee, one of her six handlers. 'Now she only eats and sleeps.' 'Her popularity has slowed,' admitted the 32-year-old. 'But some old fans have returned, and there are new ones too.' Despite her waning fame 'her eyes light up when people take photos of her', he said. Her handlers are set later to auction her belongings, but it is unclear what possessions she has accumulated in her short life at the Chonburi province zoo, a two-hour drive from Bangkok. Moo Deng, a two-month-old female pygmy hippo who has recently become a viral internet sensation, is showered by a zookeeper at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province on September 15, 2024. — AFP pic 'Cute doesn't last long' Moo Deng's blubbery rose-blushed face launched a thousand memes and a plethora of merchandise including piggy banks, party shirts and popsicles—prompting her owners to trademark her likeness. She once quadrupled ticket sales for the zoo where she resides in a sparse, stone, five square metre (54 square feet) public enclosure, once livestreamed 24/7 to sate the internet's appetite for her. There were hopes her stardom would spotlight the plight of the endangered pygmy hippo, native to West Africa with only around 2,500 left alive according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature But social media and search engine metrics suggest Moo Deng's popularity peaked around late September last year before dramatically declining. 'Moo Deng went viral very quickly when she was born,' said Joshua Paul Dale, an academic who teaches courses on the phenomenon of 'cuteness' at Japan's Chuo University. 'Maybe part of our appreciation of cuteness is knowing that it's something that doesn't last very long,' he told AFP. Moo Deng is part of a pantheon of captive animals who have enjoyed flash-in-the-pan popularity for their cuteness online, including Australia's Pesto the penguin and China's Hua Hua the panda. Pygmy hippos have a lifespan of between 30 and 50 years. 'Moo Deng won't be the most popular forever,' admitted her handler Attaphol. 'One day there will be a new generation of Moo Deng.' — AFP
