A baby hippo named Moo Deng has gone viral. Many tourists find it necessary to make a pitstop at Khao Kheow Zoo in Thailand to see her. But how did this small creature rise to fame?
Moo Deng was born on July 10th at the Khao Kheow Zoo in Thailand. She’s a pygmy hippo, a special type of hippo that’s much smaller in size compared to normal hippos. In her two months of being alive, videos of her playing with her keepers, running around her enclosure and getting sprayed with water have gotten thousands of views starting the cause of her fame. She even has a logo of her chosen by a vote on Facebook as of October 10th.
According to CBS news, people who know of her or have watched her videos, say she went viral for being so relatable because of her looks and energetic personality, others say it’s because she’s an endangered species. Her zoo enclosure became so popular that visitors could only visit her and her moms exhibit for no more than five minutes.
Viewers enjoyed watching Moo Deng grow up on Tiktok and other social media platforms posted by the keepers at the Khao Kheow Zoo, as well as learn how to behave around others. However she can sometimes have some attitude, reportedly biting zoo keepers causing some controversy among viewers.
Although Moo Deng’s fame has been beneficial to the zoo and community around it, it has also caused some issues. People who visit the zoo only get five minutes to see her exhibit which causes overcrowding and can sometimes be overwhelming for the animals. Visitors also throw items into the exhibit like water which disrupts their environment. Recently an article has been published showing a woman firing a slingshot into the zoo that Moo Deng lives in. This is very dangerous and harmful to the animals in the zoo.
President of the Animal Advocacy Club at Millikan High School, Amelia Parra, says, “Social media platforms have made it easy to share images and videos of animals which can lead to unintended consequences”.
Moo Deng’s fame will continue to rise as she grows up. You can find her videos on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
Alexander Hu • Oct 30, 2024 at 1:59 pm
Dear Corydon Editor,
This article written about Moo Deng was a great addition to the Corydon. The article itself created a sense of liveliness and sentiment in our hearts which was a great way to convey the message of Moo Deng. Lucia Chen described the ongoing problems in the Khao Kheow Zoo and how the adorable hippo has caused many to be attracted to attend this tourist stop. Her article was a great choice to reach many audiences due to the emotions we feel when seeing a baby animal while also predicting how we would feel after reading this article in the Corydon.
The article mentioned the social problems happening at the zoo and how the animals really get affected by the actions of the tourists which is a concern to both the animals and the zoo’s around the world; but how are we going to act on these problems to help these animals?
The article is well written and gets the point across but when there are ongoing problems like the Khao Kheow Zoo is facing, people want to know that these problems will fix eventually. That is why the only suggestion I have would be to add any other evidence that the zoo’s or any other organization are trying to help these animals feel at home when being stressed from the tourists.
The Khao Kheow Zoo is so lucky to have the famous Moo Deng Hippo and Chen really elevated the story to where students can understand and really feel for the hippo; the photos also really add to the delivery of the article. I enjoyed reading this article and I hope that I get to see many more articles of these animals soon, thank you so much for sharing!
Sophia Orbiso • Oct 30, 2024 at 1:56 pm
This article effectively describes the origin and popularity of the viral sensation, “Moo Deng” , the baby pygmy hippo. Viewers all around the world adore Mood Deng, as she is a cute baby hippo with an energetic personality. As the baby hippo gains popularity, fans throughout the world come to visit the zoo in hopes to see Moo Deng.
The author additionally adds that although Moo Deng’s fame is beneficial for the zoo, it also is causing some issues to the zoo’s community. Due to the attractiveness of Moo Deng, it has caused overcrowding in the zoo, which can make the animals feel overwhelmed. The author does an excellent job depicting the idea of the causes and effects to the fame of Moo Deng. Chan illustrates how “visitors throw items into the exhibits”, which can potentially harm the animals’ environment. My main concern for this issue is that the zoo should find a way to protect the animals from getting harassed by visitors. Protecting the animals will not only benefit the zoo but benefit the safety of the animals as well.