Last Updated:
She once broke the internet with her blushy face, now Moo Deng is growing up, one pond nap at a time.
Moo Deng, a 1-year-old female pygmy hippo who became a viral internet sensation, reacts to a zookeeper splashing water at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province. Thailand pygmy hippo Moo Deng marked her first birthday on July 10, leaving behind the animal infancy which boosted her to worldwide internet fame for her cute antics. (IMAGE: AFP)
Thailand’s pygmy hippo Moo Deng, who shot to online fame as a calf, marked her first birthday on Thursday at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo. The animal, whose name means “Bouncy Pork” in Thai, had once drawn massive crowds and racked up over five million followers on social media.
A four-day celebration has been organised at the zoo in Chonburi province, where Moo Deng became an internet sensation. Thursday’s festivities, which coincided with a Thai public holiday, included a lecture titled “Moo Deng’s cheekiness” and a $3,000 birthday cake sponsored by a skincare beautician. The cake was made of edible plants.
The crowds were smaller than at her peak but still enthusiastic. A modest group gathered outside her enclosure in the morning to catch a glimpse of the now one-year-old hippo.
Among them was Jennifer Tang, who travelled from Malaysia and took a week off work to visit. “She’s really special to me, she makes me happy,” Tang was quoted as saying by news agency AFP, calling the calf a “chaos rage potato.”
A zoo in Thailand has held a birthday celebration for its global superstar and internet darling, the adorable baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng, who turned 1 on Thursday.A large makeshift birthday cake made of fruits and vegetables was brought into Moo Deng’s enclosure to celebrate. pic.twitter.com/gS62d2kJBd
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 10, 2025
“She’s still really sassy and funny,” Tang said, adding, “Take a look at the crowd today… She’s still a legend”.
Sassy Diva
Over the past year, Moo Deng has grown from a five-kilogram calf to a 93-kilogram young hippo. On her birthday, she was seen waddling around her enclosure and resting in her pond — a far cry from the playful, clumsy calf that first captured hearts online.
“Moo Deng used to be very naughty and jumped around all the time,” said Attaphol Nundee, one of her six handlers, while speaking to AFP. “Now, she only eats and sleeps.”
“Her popularity has slowed,” he admitted. “But some old fans have returned, and there are new ones too.” Despite that, he said, “her eyes light up when people take photos of her.”
The zoo had prepared a special “birthday cake” made from watermelon, corn, dragon fruit and tomatoes. Moo Deng took only a few shy bites before her mother Joana finished most of it.
“She was kind of hesitant at first with the cake, so I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, come on diva!’” Molly Swindall, a TikTok influencer from the US, was quoted as saying by the news agency.
Hundreds of visitors turned up for the occasion, queuing for their brief, five-minute slot to see Moo Deng up close. Among the memorabilia, Moo Deng’s old bathtub was auctioned off for around $3,000 and the money will go towards zoo upkeep.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
view comments
- Location :
Bangkok, Thailand
- First Published:
