First, let me explain what Moo Deng is. Moo Deng is a famous pygmy hippopotamus which means a tiny hippo. They only get around 180-275 kilograms which still sounds somewhat heavy but a regular hippo gets to about 4000 kilograms. So there is quite a size difference. Both look similar but the pygmy hippo adapted to the forests and swamps while the regular hippo adapted to the water. Pygmy hippopotamus are unfortunately endangered which is why people were excited when Moo Deng was born.
So why is a pygmy hippo considered cute by most?
Us humans are programmed to find babies cute, so animals with juvenile features are also considered cute by our brains. It has to do with a nurturing instinct we have with babies that we also want to apply to any cute animal we see, this could even translate to inanimate objects like teddies and dolls.
With this information it makes sense that most of us think a pygmy hippo is cute, it is small, looks soft and round and has a cute face. I personally also think it relates back to how we feel about a regular hippo. I know hippo’s can be dangerous but still find them in some sense adorable. But every time I think that a video (see below) pops up of a hippo chasing a speedboat as if it’s a dolphin and my brain realizes that they are in fact quite dangerous and when they think of you as a threat they will try to end you. I think most people will see a hippo of regular size and still think it is somewhat cute but as soon as you see them opening their mouth we also have a very real feeling that they can harm us gravely. So a pygmy hippo is just a large hippo confined in a small body to most people (even though the hippos are in fact quite different). It is the cuteness of the hippo without the danger, sure the pygmy hippo can bite you (as we have seen with Moo Deng) but the injury caused is far smaller than any normal sized hippo could do especially when they are as small as Moo Deng.
Who is Moo Deng?
As mentioned before Moo Deng is a pygmy hippopotamus which we have deemed cute. Moo Deng was born on the 10th of July 2024 and became an internet sensation in September 2024 when she was only 2 months old!! The name Moo Deng was decided via a poll that reached 20,000 votes. The name means bouncy pork in Thai. The zoo where Moo Deng was born started posting videos of her daily life on the internet. People loved this and it went viral. Now most people know Moo Deng, she has merchandise and she even has a WikiPedia page. Saturday Night Live even did a sketch of Moo Deng. Moo Deng is regularly featured on social media and still gets a lot of views but who knows how long it will last. Internet fame is unstable and the people regularly move on to another trend or viral video. All in all we love Moo Deng and there is no way around it. Look at her little face!!
I enjoyed this post very much! It’s very nice to see someone talk about a lighter topic in these times. It is also indeed very interesting how baby animals are always adorable even if their adult counterparts are super scary.
I love your post, and find it so interesting how as a society we managed to put this one hippo and eventually other animals on a greater platform. I also find it interesting how animals can become a social media sensation and bring money to the zoo which they’re housed in. Moo Deng even has merch now, and fans around the world visiting the zoo just to see her. It makes me wonder if this will help other animals which may be endangered, and if this hype around her will translate to other species as well.