Rare pygmy hippo in Thailand goes viral

A rare pygmy hippopotamus, in Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Thailand, became an internet sensation after being unveiled on Facebook.

Zookeeper Atthapon Nundee has been posting photos of different animals in the zoo for almost five years. He said that he expected to get a small amount of attention from the netizens.

"It was beyond expectation," Atthapon said to The Associated Press.

"I wanted people to know her. I wanted many people to visit her, watch her online, or leave fun comments. I never would've thought [of this]," Atthapon added.

The two-month-old hippo, named Moo Deng, was born on July 10, 2024. According to local reports, Moo Deng went viral on social media in Thailand, after an online voting was done to know which name fits the hippo.

Meanwhile, the name "Moo Deng" in Thailand means "Bouncy Pork." Moo Deng's name also matches his siblings, Moo Toon (stewed pork) and Moo Waan (sweet pork).

Zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi said that due to the popularity of Moo Deng, the zoo experienced a spike in the number of visitors, over 4,000, on a weekday. Previous visitors was only at 800.

Chochoi said that on weekends, they are accommodating around 10,000 visitors, up from around 3,000 people.