If you haven’t heard of Moo Deng, the tiny, shiny pygmy hippo who’s achieved viral fame in her two months on Earth, allow me to bring you up to speed.
Born in Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, the hippo’s on-screen career began when zookeeper Atthapon Nundee started sharing her antics online.
Moo Deng is a sentient slippery soap bar of contradictions – she screams, she flees from a bath, she bites her handlers.
But she also waits placidly for a petting, pretends to chew (even when she’s not old enough to eat solids) and generally looks unspeakably cute.
She’s just a girl, the internet seems to have agreed. But what does her name actually mean?
Her name means ‘bouncy pork’
Moo Deng is translated from the Thai หมูเด้ง, which means “bouncy pork”.
It’s a type of springy meatball (very apt), and it was chosen by fans via an online poll.
The name is a sort of culinary Kardashian brand too. Her siblings, Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork) are all named in similar ways.
There’s even a non-pygmy hippo in the zoo called Kha Moo, which means stewed pork leg.
The zoo’s director, Narongwit Chodchoi, has shared that the institution is copyrighting Moo Deng the hippo’s name.
“After we do this, we will have more income to support activities that will make the animals’ lives better,” he said.
“The benefits we get will return to the zoo to improve the life of all animals here.”
The zoo’s director added that her name is probably one of the secrets behind her viral fame.
Why has Moo Deng gone so viral?
She has expressed almost every human emotion in her limited time on Earth, and it’s all been caught on camera.
Some want to live her uncomplicated, expressive life.
And she reminds others that progress is possible ― even if you’re a minute hippo.
“Moo Deng is never dry or calm,” another viral X writes of her wriggly existence.
And who could resist that combo?