Why Thailand’s adorable pygmy hippo Moo Deng is more than just a viral meme

One quick scroll through your feed, and you’ll likely spot the newest internet darling — Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo from Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo. With her big, round eyes, chubby little body, and playful personality, Moo Deng has captured hearts around the globe. 

Born in July, Moo Deng—whose name fittingly means “bouncy pig”—has rapidly become the internet’s latest obsession. Whether she’s splashing around in the water, munching on snacks, or bonding with her zookeepers, every video of her is guaranteed to make you smile – so ti comes as no surprise that she’s gone viral.

Even major brands are in on the Moo Deng mania. From Puma Training to XBox, and even the New York Mets, everyone’s reposting photos and memes of this sweet pygmy hippo. 

And it’s not just sports brands jumping on the bandwagon—Moo Deng’s influence has swept through the fashion and beauty world too. In fact, there’s a growing trend inspired by her “look”—dewy skin with lots of blush and a subtle, grey eyeshadow—perfectly aligned with where makeup trends are heading. Her glistening, luminous skin even led Sephora Thailand to launch a campaign promising to help you “blush like a baby hippo,” while influencers like Mei Pang (@meicrosoft) have already created makeup tutorials based on Moo Deng’s signature baby-doll glow.

And, believe it or not, Moo Deng’s internet fame has reached a whole new level—she now has her very own cryptocurrency, aptly named Moo Deng Coin. This quirky addition is part of a growing trend in an online culture that gave us meme coins like Dogecoin (originally created as a joke to poke fun at Bitcoin) and Shiba Inu Coin (which ironically poked fun at Dogecoin).

As with any viral internet sensation, meme coins often have short-lived hype. They tend to skyrocket in value thanks to FOMO (fear of missing out) among crypto traders, only to come crashing down once early investors cash out.

Of course, Moo Deng’s overwhelming cuteness is the secret sauce behind the coin’s appeal. Just last Friday, Moo Deng Coin was up 90% in a single day, trading at around 25 cents per coin.

But Moo Deng is more than just a meme. As one of the rare pygmy hippos, an endangered species threatened by habitat loss, she has become a symbol of wildlife conservation efforts. Her viral fame is helping raise awareness about protecting endangered animals, particularly in Southeast Asia. As the star ambassador of Thailand’s zoos, Moo Deng is not just winning hearts—she’s inspiring conversations around animal welfare and conservation.

With Moo Deng’s skyrocketing fame, zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi shared that they’ve started the process of trademarking her name to protect her from being commercially exploited. “Once this is in place, we can generate more funds to improve the lives of all the animals in our care,” he explained.

Naturally, the buzz around Moo Deng has led to a surge in visitors at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, all eager to catch a glimpse of the baby hippo in person. In fact, the zoo has had to limit visitor viewing times to five minutes to help manage the crowds. 

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But don’t worry if you can’t make it to Thailand just yet—Moo Deng’s caretakers have heard your pleas. The zoo has launched a 24-hour livestream of her enclosure, so you can watch her adorable antics and swoon over her cuteness whenever you want, no matter where you are.