Moo Deng, a two-month-old pygmy hippo, has rapidly grow to be an web sensation, attracting a surge of tourists to Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.
Her tiny, chubby body has impressed a faithful fanbase, with movies of her circulating broadly on social media. The zoo’s TikTok account, which options clips of Moo Deng, now boasts 2.5 million followers.
The child hippo’s fame has even prolonged to the Royal Thai Embassy’s social media channels, and followers have created paintings and muffins in her picture. One cosmetics firm even inspired prospects to “put on your blush like a child hippo.”
Regardless of her widespread enchantment, Moo Deng has additionally grow to be the topic of controversy. Some zoo guests have mistreated the newborn hippo, filming themselves pouring water on her to wake her up and even throwing objects at her.
These disturbing acts of cruelty have sparked outrage on-line. Khao Kheow Open Zoo’s director, Narongwit Chodchoi, condemned the actions, warning that these accountable may face authorized penalties.
He emphasised that such conduct isn’t solely merciless but additionally harmful. To handle the difficulty, the zoo has put in CCTV cameras and urged guests to see Moo Deng throughout her waking hours, because the child hippo spends a lot of her time sleeping and consuming her mom’s milk.
Zookeeper Atthapon Nundee, who was instrumental in making Moo Deng a social media sensation, expressed shock at her worldwide fame.
“I believed she might be well-known in Thailand however not internationally,” he stated. At simply two months previous and weighing 20kg, Moo Deng is anticipated to start out consuming grass quickly. Pygmy hippos, native to West Africa, are labeled as endangered, with fewer than 3,000 believed to be left within the wild.
This article by Trinity Sparke was first printed by One Inexperienced Planet on 17 September 2024. Picture Credit score :Tikling/Shutterstock.
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