The two-month-old baby pygmy hippo in Thailand named Moo-Deng is suffering as a result of her internet fame due to viral content.
A two-month-old baby pygmy hippo in Thailand is suffering as a result of her internet sensationalization. Millions of fans follow Moo-Deng worldwide, and she can’t leave her enclosure at Khao Kheow Open Zoo without hundreds of cameras focused on her. However, some fans have started to harass the famous baby hippo by hurling objects at her in an attempt to get her attention.
After Moo-Deng’s photos went viral on social media, she became well-known as an internet sensation and meme.
I made it my mission to make Moo-Deng famous as soon as I saw her born, but I never imagined it would take off internationally. “I believed she would become well-known in Thailand, but not worldwide,” zookeeper Atthapon Nundee stated to The Guardian.
But Moo-Deng has achieved both domestic and international renown. Videos of the baby pygmy hippo on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and X get millions of views. Since her birth in July, the number of visitors to her zoo near the city of Pattaya has doubled, the BBC reports.
Moo-Deng faces harassment
However, not every guest is behaving properly toward Moo-Deng.
Videos of some visitors to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo hurling objects at Moo-Deng to get her attention have appeared online. To get the infant hippo to wake up, a tourist even doused her with water.
Legal action has been threatened by the zoo against visitors who mistreat its famous resident.
In an online statement, zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi stated, “These behaviors are not only cruel but also dangerous.” “We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment.”
Perhaps alluding to a video in which water is sprayed on the hippo to rouse her, he stated that visiting Moo-Deng is best done when she is awake.
Since then, the zoo has added more security measures to Moo-Deng’s enclosure, installed CCTV cameras, and threatened to take legal action against anyone found to be abusing the baby hippo.
