Pygmy hippo Moo Deng is the seventh baby born to parents Jona and Tony at a Thailand zoo—and she's getting a lot more attention than her siblings. Moo Deng, who was born on
July 10, has become a star on social media and attracted a surge of visitors to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, NPR reports. The zoo has been sharing videos of Moo Deng on TikTok, where one video has almost 34 million views. Another popular video shows the toothless baby hippo munching on food.
Reuters reports that millions of fans online are following Moo Deng's "clumsily charming adventures"—including an attempt to nibble her handler. Her name, which means "Bouncy Pig" in Thai, was chosen in an online poll. Narungwit Chodchoy, the zoo's director, says the zoo usually gets around 800 visitors a day at this time of year, but it has been closer to 4,000 on recent weekdays, and there were 20,000 visitors over the weekend.
But some of the attention is unwelcome, NPR reports. The zoo limited weekend visits to Moo Deng's enclosure to five minutes and installed extra CCTV cameras after visitors threw objects at her or poured water on her. "These behaviors are not only cruel but also dangerous," Chodchoy said. "We must protect these animals and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable environment." (More pygmy hippos stories.)
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