Moo Deng

2024

Date: September 2024 · Place: Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Chonburi, Thailand · Figures: Moo Deng, baby pygmy hippopotamus (born 10 July 2024) · Atthapon Nundee, zookeeper · Khao Kheow Open Zoo · Tags: Animal, Thailand, Cute 01. Bouncy Pork Moo Deng, whose name means 'bouncy pork' in Thai, is born at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand on 10 July 2024. Zookeeper Atthapon Nundee begins posting videos in early September. The pygmy hippo, slick and stout and inclined to be aggressive at her keepers, becomes the global animal meme of late 2024. Visitor numbers at Khao Kheow triple. Sephora releases a Moo Deng-themed blush. Saturday Night Live runs a cold open. The hippo is on the cover of New York Magazine. 02. Animal Meme Cycle Moo Deng's cycle peaks alongside two other 2024 baby-animal memes: Pesto, the giant baby penguin at Sea Life Melbourne, and the Pittsburgh Zoo's hyena cub. The collective discourse calls 2024 the year animal cuteness rivals AI slop for cultural footprint. Moo Deng turns one in July 2025 already a brand. The hippo does not know. Sources • Khao Kheow Open Zoo, official Moo Deng announcement (September 2024) • The New York Times, 'How Moo Deng the Baby Hippo Became a Global Star' (20 September 2024) • New York Magazine, 'Moo Deng on the Cover' (October 2024)